


[Discontinued] Shiekah's Heartbeat

by YoshiClouds



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Awkward Sexual Situations, F/F, F/M, Fanservice, Kakariko Village, Non-Canon Relationship, Post-Canon, Rivalry, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Talking Link (Legend of Zelda), Zelda has the title of Queen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:47:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25804612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoshiClouds/pseuds/YoshiClouds
Summary: Zelda and Link accidentally agree to Great Fairy Cotera's unusual challenge. The goal: Paya.(2020-12-25: I lost interest in writing this story. I'll leave it in its unfinished state. Maybe I will return to it at some point, but it isn't guaranteed. Sorry to those expecting new chapters!)
Relationships: Link/Paya (Legend of Zelda), Paya/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 33
Kudos: 95





	1. One More Thing

Zelda and Link stood on a petal of the Great Fairy fountain near Kakariko Village.

"I still think we should strengthen one of the weaker ancient swords," said Zelda. "The Master Sword is kind of... as good as it needs to be, you know. We don't need a super-weapon on our hands." She shook her backpack, which contained many ancient weapons from bows to swords to daggers. Any of these would be prime candidates for upgrading.

Link held the Master Sword parallel to the horizon. Its edge, silver and pale, reflected the light of the morning sun. "I'm worried Ganon will return," he said.

Zelda shook her head, knowing Link was ready to dump any amount of rupees into the pool to level up his magic sword.

They felt a rumble in the ground. The fountain sloshed onto its petals for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into an explosion of water droplets. A lot of the water fell as rain onto Zelda and Link, soaking their clothes completely. They both looked down at their clothes in annoyance.

The Great Fairy was here now, swerving around and smiling over them. "Your Highness, and the Champion of Hyrule..! To what does the Great Fairy owe this honor?"

Link held up the Master Sword.

"Oh... You would like to level up this item?"

"Yes," he said. "If Zelda agrees."

"I can tell you are getting closer to the correct amount of rupees but..."

Link pointed down the mountain slope. The Great Fairy leaned forward in her pool to see what he was pointing at, and she saw three wagons full of rupees.

"Oh, you have reached a stunning amount of rupees. Such a dedicated duo you two are!" said the Fairy. "I can see you have roughly 30,000 rupees with you."

Zelda crossed her arms.

"... but it's still not enough," lamented the Great Fairy.

"Of course it's not," said Zelda, scowling. "Come on Link. This is highway robbery."

Link sheathed his sword and voiced his angry agreement. They began walking down the flower petal.

"W-wait!" said the Fairy, holding out a hand. "Okay, okay. You two have worked hard, and obtained all the rupees I need, but there is one more thing you have to do."

Link turned around, but Zelda grabbed him by the arm and forced him to follow her.

"Wait, don't go! You don't understand! All you have to do is help someone in town!" said the Great Fairy.

That made Zelda pause and begrudgingly turn to face the Fairy again. "Help someone in town?"

"Yes. It's very easy. It's impossible to mess up!"

Zelda and Link looked at her with skepticism. "Who do we have to help?" said Link.

The Great Fairy cleared her throat and the sound of a harp reverberated from the fountain.

> A Shiekah girl is now adult  
>  And wants a loving friend.  
>  She cleans the floors and cooks the meals,  
>  But those chores never end. 
> 
> A month ago she came to me,  
>  Her hair well rolled and washed,  
>  She ask'd to let her try one time  
>  Some... voltfruit with her squash. 
> 
> It doesn't matter, hot or sweet,  
>  But please don't make it rough,  
>  Just something for her appetite,  
>  A break from all the dust. 
> 
> So if you bring her something good,  
>  Make sure you really care.  
>  This girl may be a woman now,  
>  But know that she's still scared. 

Link's hand was up on his chin. He wasn't sure about anything he was hearing. Zelda wasn't sure either, but her eyes were getting narrower and narrower.

They kept listening.

> A princess knows the _stirring speed_ ,  
>  A knight knows how to _lead_ ,  
>  But one of them can cook the best  
>  And that is what she needs. 
> 
> Could someone come,  
>  Hold her tight,  
>  Say her name,  
>  Spend the night,  
>  Watch the stars,  
>  Candlelight,  
>  Hero stuff,  
>  You'll do all right! 
> 
> Once you please that maiden heart  
>  And show her all your charms,  
>  My power will be yours (in part)  
>  To fortify your arms. 

"Okay," said Zelda, scrunching her eyebrows. She wasn't sure at all what was going on. "I think my read of this is, uh... wrong... So what's yours, Link?"

Link nodded and closed his eyes. "A Shiekah girl, I got that. She needs a new friend, to cook for her and have a slumber party. Right? ... Zelda, I have an idea. What if _I_ do the cooking part and _you_ do the sleepover part?"

Zelda looked at the Fairy. "Great Fairy, help us out here."

"Help with what, exactly?" chuckled the Great Fairy.

"Are we right in our interpretation?" Zelda stared straight at the Fairy. "Food and sleepover, right? Then why does the song suggest that I know how to cook?"

"Mysterious, isn't it?" The Fairy giggled, her seashell necklace rattling.

"Great Fairy. I beg you. Can we expedite the process?" said Zelda. "You can tell her to come to the castle whenever she wants. We'll give her a special sleepover and banquet. No problem... Now, please let us upgrade the sword."

The Great Fairy moved her finger back and forth like a metronome. "Oh, no, no, no. Come back when you've helped Paya. Then I'll upgrade anything you want. But, keep this in mind. I'll only have enough power for _either_ Zelda's weapons _or_ Link's Master Sword. Not. Both."

Zelda felt the weight of the ancient weapons behind her. It would be nice to get all of these upgraded... but they would have to go through all this trouble with a village girl.

The Great Fairy waved at them one last time before saying "Good luck~." Then, she plunged out of sight into the floral waters.


	2. Getting Settled In

Link and Zelda stood at the door of the large central house in Kakariko Village, carrying armfuls of voltfruits. Link knocked three times, then stood behind Zelda.

They waited a few seconds. The pattering of feet approached the door, and a woman in a white Shiekah coat opened it gingerly. "AHH??" she said. "M-master Link! Welcome back! Oh—and this is your... um.... girlfr... I mean, your sister..?"

Link smiled and waved. "Thanks for the welcome Paya. This isn't my sister, actually. She's so much more than that!"

"Oh..." said Paya, looking a bit deflated. "Okay..."

"But look what we have!" Link and Zelda waved voltfruits in Paya's face, grinning awkwardly.

"... Voltfruits..? That's nice..? Oh... what am I doing? I'm so sorry to keep you at the door. Please, both of you, come inside. Make yourselves at home!" Paya got out of the way, allowing them to enter.

As Zelda walked by, she noticed Paya shyly inspecting her.

Impa sat properly at the far side of the room. Her eyes peered out from under a large bamboo hat. "Your Highness," she said slowly. "Please forgive Young Paya. She is still in training." She looked at Paya. "Paya, this is Queen Zelda. She is the reason we Shiekah exist—to protect and serve her. I was surprised at your lack of reverence at the door, but I now remember that you have never seen Zelda in person before."

"Q-queen Zelda?" said Paya, throwing herself flat at Zelda's feet. "Please forgive my ignorance! I am completely at your service."

Zelda laughed. "It's alright, Paya. No offense was taken. You know, we're actually here because of you. We wanted to make you some food."

"Eh??" Paya held her hands to her own cheeks, which glowed a bright red.

Impa hummed lightly. "This is highly unusual, Your Highness," she said. Then she looked at Paya. "You should feel honored to have such company arrive for your sake. Arrange rooms for them immediately, and make sure their pillows are fluffed."

"Y-yes, ma'am!" said Paya. She scrambled to her feet and went to the corner of the room. She ran fingers across the floorboards until she found a hidden latch. Pulling it up, a _click_ came from the floor and it opened up into set of tight stairs leading underground. She descended.

Now that they were all alone, Impa had to get some answers. "Queen Zelda... what is the real reason you have come?"

"We are not trying to deceive you; we did come on behalf of Paya. The Great Fairy of the mountain told us to," said Zelda. She sat down in proper form in front of Impa while Link found a place nearby.

"I see... So the Great Fairy has sent you..." Impa inhaled deeply and stared pensively at the floor. "Then perhaps I should keep my nose out of this."

"I don't think it's anything to worry about," continued Zelda. "We really are here to cook a meal for her. That's all."

"The Fairy is as mysterious as ever."

"My only question is, do you have squash? The Fairy told us it will be a vital ingredient."

"Squash?" Impa shook her head. "No, we don't have any of that here."

"Then Paya must have some," Link said, holding up a finger. "The Great Fairy said that Paya needed to have some voltfruit with her squash."

Seconds passed in silence. Zelda repeated the words over and over in her mind. Then, at last, her heart sank, and she reached up to cover her mouth.

Her original interpretation—one she had quickly discarded and hadn't taken too seriously before—was seeming more plausible. This was no regular cooking request.

Impa noticed Zelda's horrified expression, but kept quiet. "It seems you two have quite the riddle ahead of you. In the meantime, don't ask Paya about any squash. I have a feeling you may be barking up the wrong tree. *sigh*. The Fairy has overstepped many boundaries over the years. This may be the worst. In any case... Enjoy your night here. We have food for you, and beds. Paya takes care of everything, so ask her if you have any questions."

They began talking about other things, such as the recovery effort at Hyrule castle. It was noon when they stopped. Link and Zelda both stood up. They hadn't seen Paya at all since morning. So, they turned around.

"No squash," said Link. "This is inconvenient..."

Zelda touched Link's shoulder. "Link... Come with me on the porch."

They went outside where they were out of earshot.

"I don't think the Fairy really wants us to cook for Paya..."

Link looked puzzled.

Zelda brought down her hands and tightened her fists. "I think the song had a different meaning than what we thought. It's um... something else."

Link furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you think it meant?"

"The song... the imagery... Link..." Zelda's face flushed red. "The Fairy wants one of us to... to..."

Link waited patiently.

"S-she wants one of us to have sex. With Paya."

Link did a double-take. What? That didn't make sense. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. There had to be a mistake here. Something they had missed. There's no way a Great Fairy would send them on such a ridiculous mission... Right? He shook his head. "This can't be right," he said. It was embarrassing enough to hear this in any situation, but to hear this from Zelda made his cheeks beet red. "You're reading too much into it, I'm sure. I don't believe it."

"Link, I don't see any other solution that makes sense.... Paya must have visited the fountain." Zelda began pacing. "She must have spilled her heart out to the Fairy when she thought she was alone. And now look what's happening. We're a part of some sick... love game. Forget the Fairy. Let's get our rupees and never go back to that fountain again. The girl doesn't need this kind of attention."

"But what if it's just cooking—" Link began, when suddenly they heard an exhausted sigh inside the house.

Paya looked out the door. "Your Highness! Your rooms have been prepared." Her forehead was shiny with sweat, and she had a small white rag attached to her belt.

"We're sorry to have put you through all that." said Zelda. "Thank you for preparing our rooms for us."

"Not at all!" said Paya. "I live to serve Your Highness."

"... This is a recipe for disaster," whispered Zelda to Link, her mouth twitching.

Link sighed and whispered back. "You're right. But we can't leave tonight, can we? We promised to make a meal for her, and she spent all day cleaning our rooms."

"So, we just stay here for the night?"

"It's the right thing to do," said Link.

"Fine." Zelda took a deep breath to ease the feeling of the situation. Looking around, she then smiled sadly. "You know, this isn't all bad... I mean, look at this place." The dry footpath of Kakariko Village twisted through the village and branched off toward many cozy wooden houses. Parents in baggy white clothes stood on their porches, drinking, or worked tirelessly in their gardens. Meanwhile, the kids ran around and played with Cuccos.

"Kakariko Village," marveled Zelda. "It's a miniature paradise, compared to the outside world. I'm actually surprised it's still here after all these years." She looked straight at Link. "We should enjoy it while we're here. It has been a long, long time since I've been here."

Link nodded.

"Okay," said Zelda. She clenched her fist with renewed determination. "Paya, we're ready to visit our rooms."

* * *

Paya led them underground. The moment they came off the stairs, they were in a hallway with wooden floor planks and white paper walls. Paya approached a tall section of wall, and gently slid it open. "F-first, Master Link's room!" she said, bowing shyly.

The room looked very comfortable. It was mainly lit by natural sunlight filtering through a vent in the wall. The tatami floor was soft under Link's feet, and it was all completely spotless. A grayish green futon lay centered in the floor with a plain blanket smoothed neatly on top. Nearby, a classy paper lamp glowed, revealing a silhouette of the Kakariko characters for "Courage" and "Strength". At all corners of the room were potted plants, local to Kakariko village.

Link walked around, examining everything.

Zelda watched for a while. She noticed Paya growing more and more antsy. The girl's knees drifted together, and her shoulders slowly tensed as Link walked. Her expression became more and more worried.

Wow, Zelda thought. This is serious.

Unable to watch this any further, Zelda reached up and touched Paya's shoulder. The girl jumped, the ornaments in her hair rattling as she looked into Zelda's eyes.

Zelda smiled warmly in an attempt to comfort her. It seemed to work. Paya, seeing Zelda's concern, took a deep, calming breath in response, and nodded wearily back.

Link, having examined the room from floor to ceiling, started putting his gear into piles on the floor.

The sudden action confused Paya. "M-master Link?" she said. She blinked several times.

Link looked at her.

"I-is the room to your liking?" she said.

"Oh," said Link. "Yes, I like it a lot. Thank you Paya."

Paya's eyes lit up. "Y-you're welcome! Make yourself at home, Master Link! I'll... I'll go take Her Highness to her quarters right now! She'll be right next door, don't worry!"

They left Link to unequip his things into a closet. He seemed to genuinely appreciate the quarters, as he took special care not to disturb any of Paya's aesthetic arrangements.

Paya led Zelda to the next paper door in the hall. The Shiekah girl opened the door, then bowed deeply. "Your highness," she said. "Please forgive my behavior this morning. I hope this humble room satisfies you, or at least begins to do so."

The room was similar to Link's—eminently clean and lovingly arranged—but Zelda's room had some marked differences. There was a small bookshelf containing local Kakariko literature. Nearby stood a wooden vanity with an inset mirror. A futon, white as snow, lay pronounced in the middle of the room on a tatami platform of its very own. It was as if the futon were elevated above the earthly concerns around it. A richly purple comforter lay draped over the top, with a matching purple pillow. Pieces of art decorated the walls, depicting the Triforce as well as beautiful landmark locations throughout Hyrule.

"It's perfect, Paya" said Zelda. She entered and started looking around.

"Thank you, Your Highness," said Paya, bowing even deeper. "I was surprised to find this comforter in storage. After a quick clean, it was good as new. If you need anything else, do not hesitate to call upon me."

"I am glad to have you in my service." Zelda felt the soft blanket with her fingertips. It was incredibly soft, like her blankets back at the castle. "Paya... You should go and take a break now, if Impa will let you."

"Thank you," said Paya, straightening her back. She retreated to other parts of the house.

Zelda sighed and started looking at the books in the small bookshelf.


	3. Indecency Around Shiekah

Birds chirped outside of the house. The shrill songs intermingled with the splashing of a creek below, and the voices of villagers could be heard throughout the valley. Paya was working hard indoors, on that hot summer day, scrubbing the sides of a large Shiekah vase. This was one of many heirlooms in the house.

While she scrubbed, she worked up quite a sweat. On any other day, she would be able to take off this heavy white jacket and work in the higher comfort of her Shiekah stealth set. But, she couldn't right now. It wouldn't be appropriate. It was in the middle of the day, and guests were in the house ever since morning. It was unusual. Why did they suddenly show up out of nowhere? And why did they say they came for her? And why was one of them Master Link?

She didn't notice a new figure enter the room. The ghost-like individual crossed the floorboards without making a sound. Step by step, they approached the cupboards on the opposite end.

 _Creaaaak…_ Paya finally heard something. She stood up, spun around, and struck a formidable Shiekah battle pose with her feet apart and fingers curled down like claws. “W-who's there!” she demanded.

Link stood, startled. Various snacks were piled in his hands, but they spilled out the moment he saw Paya. “Oh, sorry! I'll clean it up.”

Paya would be perfectly okay with this. She would be satisfied with having the cabinets raided by Link, or of having him clean his mess. She would have even been okay with having to clean the mess herself until the late hours of night. But she WASN'T fine with Link's COMPLETELY TOPLESS CHEST. “AHHHHHH!” she screamed, tumbling back onto the floor. She held her arms up to her eyes to protect them. “M-M-MASTER LINK!”

Link danced among all the food splattering on the floor. He clutched his hair and began to panic. “What? Oh, I'm so sorry Paya!” he said in a pleading tone. “I-I thought these snacks were for anyone! Please don't be mad, it's okay, I just thought—”

“I CAN'T LOOK AT YOU RIGHT NOW!”

Link needed no other impulse; he immediately started scraping food off the floor with his bare hands and dumping things back into the cabinet. “See? I'm putting it back, please don't tell Impa!—”

“Link!” shouted Zelda. Her head poked out of the trap door to the underground. “What is going on here?”

“Y-y-your Highness!” whimpered Paya on the verge of tears.

“I didn't mean to!” Link said, placing his face in his hands.

Zelda came out of the trap door and walked over to him, examining him. “Where are your clothes?” she said with an unamused tone. He was only wearing his blue Hylian underwear briefs.

“Oh.” He stood up. “I was doing my training in my room, but I ended up too sweaty to put my shirt and pants back on. So I come out here to find food while I air-dry.”

“Link…” said Zelda. “You can't just strip down to your underwear and sneak up behind Paya.” She tsk-tsk'd at him.

“Eep!” Paya pressed her hands to her cheeks and attempted to hide increasingly red face. “M-master Link…”

“The Shiekah have rules,” said Zelda. “Right Paya?”

Paya composed herself and nodded shakily. “We have strict rules in this house about clothes… and while of course you are an exception as the Champion of Hyrule, and it's up to you ultimately of course… it would be more appropriate if you wore your clothes if you could.”

Link bowed deeply. “I understand. I'm sorry to have broken the rules. I'll go get a fresh shirt to wear.”

“And pants,” ordered Zelda.

“Right, of course.” Link scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Thank you, Master Link…” said Paya, quietly watching him go down the trap door. As soon as he was completely out of earshot, she took a deep sigh. “Your Highness?”

“Yes, Paya?” said Zelda.

“Please don't think me rude, but… are you two really here because of me?”

Zelda crossed her arms and leaned back against a wooden support of the room. She nodded. “Yes, we are.” It remained a standing question exactly how much they should tell Paya. Should they reveal anything at all? Should they reveal that it's all a part of the Fairy's manipulative game?

It may be best to not reveal anything…

“I'm sorry this was such a surprise visit,” said Zelda. “We should have sent a notice in advance.”

“No, not at all. It's fine…” Paya still looked puzzled, but she also looked thoroughly relieved. “I just wanted to make sure I didn't misunderstand. I never get visitors normally.”

Zelda nodded soberly. “Paya… Do you do chores every day?”

“No, Your Highness. Sometimes my instructor—oh, you already know Impa—she let's me take some breaks.”

“What do you usually do for fun on your breaks?”

“Well,” she said. “I sometimes go and help out with the cuccos, or play with the kids around town. And sometimes I go exploring on the mountaintop. That was my plan for tomorrow morning, but…”

Zelda rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “That sounds really fun.”

“It really is,” said Paya, showing excitement in response to Zelda's validation. “There's not a lot to see up there, but it's so pretty and peaceful.”

“Paya, could I go with you up on the mountain tomorrow? To be honest, I haven't been here in over a hundred years.”

“Oh!” Paya's eyes widened. “That's right, isn't it? Yes… Of course, I can take you with me in the morning!”

“Thank you.”

“It's my pleasure, Your Highness. But, um, will Master Link be joining us?”

“I suppose it's up to you.”

“Up to me?” said Paya. She once again hid her face with her hands. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. What do I do..?”

Zelda blinked. Maybe she should help out, for Paya's sake. “Actually, you know… let's leave Link out of it. Let's make it a girls' hike. Then, afterward, you can take some time to do something alone with Link.”

Paya's eyes shot to the floorboards. “J-just me and him? Your Highness, I would never presume to have a right to—”

“You look up to him, right?”

“Your Highness. I can't do anything alone with him! That would be… highly inappropriate!”

“Why?”

“B-because he's a, a—”

“Hey,” sighed Zelda. “He would enjoy it. He's a nature boy at heart, so anything outdoors is a good time to him.”

Paya seemed to grow pale. “Oh, no… why me..?” Paya said. “*sigh*. I'll think about it, Your Highness. Excuse me, I have to prepare dinner.”

Zelda almost nodded, but then she remembered. “Wait. Not so fast, Paya.”

“… Yes..?”

“We already have dinner plans, remember? Link will be cooking.”

Paya sighed. “This is… so… bizarre…”


	4. Maybe You're Right

That evening, the house was filled with the savory scent of voltfruit and lemon-enhanced squash, along with the cooked smell of earthy local vegetables that Link had bought just down the road. With this dinner, Link had unequivocally proven himself as _the_ master chef. He managed to put together an amazing meal with the meager facilities provided by the house's small cooking table.

By the time food was heaped into bowls on the table, everyone was salivating at the aroma.

All four of them ate eagerly. Paya ate perhaps the most eagerly of all, knowing that Link had been the one to cook the food.

Before long, the bowls in the center of the table were almost empty, and everyone was just about full.

“Link, you should come here more often,” marveled Impa. “Maybe teach the Shiekah trainees your ways with the skillet.”

Link chuckled. “I'm pleased to hear that.”

“It was very good, Master Link!” said Paya. “Thank you for cooking. I had no idea you could use voltfruit with squash like that.”

“You're welcome, Paya,” said Link. He glanced at Zelda and raised his eyebrows several times.

Zelda saw the expression and began twisting one of her blond braids around her finger. Maybe the Great Fairy really was just talking about food and a sleepover. It would be such a relief if that were true. Her faith in the Fairy would be restored, at least partially. She would never, ever give another rupee to the Fairy, though, no matter what.

Maybe this was just about food and a sleepover. But Zelda suspected there was still more to this that they had yet to uncover.

“Well,” said Impa slowly. “As much as I enjoy staying up with you all, I can't for my health.”

Link began cleaning all the dishes away. Paya helped Impa stand up and walk deeper into the house.

When they were all gone, Zelda's eyes shifted over to Link. “You might be right about all this, Link. I hope you're right.”

He hoped he was right, too. “I'm tempted to go visit the Fairy tomorrow and try to get more answers.”

Zelda nodded, deep in thought. “Let's talk about it tomorrow.”

* * *

The flickering lights of Kakariko Village burned like eyes through the vent on Link's wall. He couldn't get to sleep. Not in a house that he wasn't used to, in a village he wasn't used to. Although the arrangements of his room were comfortable, there was just something haunting about the place.

He got up, rubbed the back of his neck, and did some quick stretches.

After doing that, he opened his door. No one in the house was awake, it seemed. He crept slowly upstairs. There were no sounds other than his feet on the creaky floorboards as he approached the front door. He went onto the porch.

The little footpaths through Kakariko village had almost no one on them. The only signs of life were some sleepy stragglers in the far corners of the village and some restless cuccos. Watching this calm scene, he felt himself start to get a little sleepy too. So, he sat down on wood planks of the porch and leaned his back against the house itself, closing his eyes.

“M-master Link?” said a voice.

He looked up. The shadow of Paya stood in the doorway, all bundled up in a blanket and simple pajamas. Link cleared his throat. “Sorry Paya. I didn't mean to wake you up.”

“It wasn't your fault. I couldn't get to sleep anyway…” She closed the house door behind her and walked wearily to the other side of the porch and sat down as far from him as she could.

They sat there, on their respective sides of the porch, watching the village. The sound of cicadas filled the valley. It must have been twenty minutes that passed of nothing eventful happening.

“Master Link..?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think… the stars are pretty right now?”

Link looked up at the sky. The stars were small and blue, a little bit hard to see because of the torchlight and smoke of the village. But, even if they were hard to see, they were beautiful. “Yes,” he said.

“I think they are too,” said Paya. She pulled her blanket closer around her. There seemed to be something on her mind.

It wasn't long before she spoke again. “I—I'm going hiking with Her Highness tomorrow morning… I'm excited about it. I get to show her all my favorite places up there.”

Link closed his eyes. “That sounds fun.”

“The mountaintop has never had any monsters or anything… So you shouldn't worry, Link! I know you work really hard to look after her, but I promise she'll be okay with me.”

“I'll leave her in your care. I trust you.”

“Thank you…”

A cool breeze blew through the valley, flickering some of the torches in the village. It felt good on Link's face.

“Master Link... After the hike, I was wondering… could I do something, just with you?”

“Sure. What would you like to do?”

“Oh… Hmm.” She seemed to process the question for a few seconds. “Would you want to meet my horse?”

Link couldn't help but smile. “Of course,” he said.

Paya sighed happily. “G-great! I… I'm glad.”

They continued to sit on their sides of the porch for several more minutes, until she finally wobbled to her feet. “I'm finally getting sleepy… Good night, Master Link.”

“Good night, Paya.”

Paya shivered when she heard her name, and went inside with her blanket wrapped a little tighter around her than before.

Link stayed in the warm night air for a while longer.


	5. Impulse to Climb

Morning came in pinks and oranges, and Kakariko Village was roused from sleep.

Zelda stretched her arms. “Hnnng!” She had just woken up in the middle of her underground room. It was still mostly dark. A tiny bit of light came in from the wall vent, but it was only enough to see a few things by—a bookshelf which supported her Shiekah Slate, and a painting of the Triforce. She listened to the sounds coming in from outside. Again, she was surprised at how peaceful it was in this village. There were some quiet sounds of activity, but most of it was cuccos clucking or jovial laughter among gardeners. It was nothing like the mornings back at Hyrule Castle, which were always either dead silent or rumbling lowly with the boots of the castle's men-at-arms. 

Half of her purple comforter lay lost over the side of the raised futon platform. She must have thrown it over during the night.

But what time was it..?

And what were her plans for the day?

She stood up, scraping the sleep from her eyes. 

The hallway outside her door was empty. Link's door was closed, so he probably wasn't up yet. She walked through the hall, then dragged her feet sluggishly up the stairs. At the top, she poked her head out of the trap door. No one was in the house's main room… “Hmm,” she hummed, then patted the side of her head, trying to wake herself up.

Birds chirped outside. No noises through the house, though. Was she really the first one to wake up?

She climbed out of the hole and entered the main room. She still wore her blue Hylian nightsuit with thick gray buttons, but she was pretty sure that was okay by Shiekah standards.

The back wall of the room was divided into two staircases. Each led up and joined together on the above floor. Zelda wondered what was up there. Maybe some kind of attic?

Her curiosity piqued, she started to ascend the steps. The steps creaked slightly under her, prompting her to tread more carefully. Halfway up, she turned and looked up the rest of the stairs, toward the above floor. It was still impossible to tell what was up there… It was just a doorframe, but she couldn't tell what was through it from this angle.

Well, she'd come all this way. Might as well go and see.

As she took the first step up, she was nearly scared out of her skin when Paya emerged from the doorway wearing her white Shiekah jacket, coming down as fast as a lizalfos.

The Shiekah girl, on seeing Zelda, was just as startled. “Huh? Wha—whAAAAAAA!” She wailed as she tripped and fell down the wooden stairs toward Zelda. They collided in pain and gracelessly tumbled down the rest of the stairs, and finally landed in a bruised heap.

“Ouch….” groaned Zelda from face-up beneath Paya's chest.

“Your Highness? Are you okay!??”

“*Huff*, I think I'm okay. I believe I hit my head on one of the steps, though… I believe it's okay… Are you hurt, Paya?”

Paya sighed, relieved to hear the queen was unhurt. “No, I'm okay. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Your Highness.” She pushed with her hands, suspending herself over Zelda to let her breathe, but her eyes became small when she realized just what she had pushed off of.

Paya's hand was pressed firmly against Zelda's left breast. The queen winced in discomfort, looking down at Paya's arm. Frantically, Paya let go. Her cheeks flushed red as she set her hand on the actual floor. “I'm sorry!” she blurted.

“It's…” Zelda gulped. She was now stuck between Paya's outstretched arms, forced between them like tight walls. Paya's white hair, being unbound in the back, fell around them like a stiff curtain. What is this? Zelda thought. What's happening? Why do I feel suddenly… protected? Without thinking, she retracted her hands to her sternum, making herself look smaller on the ground. Her green eyes relaxed as she looked up into strangely stunning brown eyes. “It's…” she said.. “It's…”

The Shiekah girl above her sprang to her feet as fast as she could. “M-Majesty! Your head was cut! I—I—I'll get you a bandage!” She darted to the front door and went out through it.

“Oh…” said Zelda, lying completely still. Her head throbbed. It rang dully from the pain, which remained constant as the seconds dragged on. “I'm awake now… but it hurts…”

* * *

Link came up to the main room as soon as he woke up. He had already put on his blue champion's shirt, and he was just raring to get an early start on the day.

He saw Zelda sitting alone by the main front door with a strip of linen cloth wrapped around her forehead, and Paya was putting together small sandwich boxes. Both girls appeared to be avoiding each other's eyes.

“Good morning,” said Link. He went over to the cabinet and grabbed a pear out of it.

“Good morning, Master Link.”

“Good morning, Link.”

“Did something happen to your head, Zelda?” said Link as he chomped into the pear.

“I bumped into something this morning, but it was just a small scratch. It was nothing...” She didn't want to tell the full story. It would be embarrassing both for her and for Paya.

Paya noticed Zelda's reticence and focused on her sandwiches, pretending to be uninvolved.

“But...” said Zelda. “I am still well enough to hike, Paya… if you still…”

“Of course, Your Highness. I'm about ready. We can head out soon if that's alright with you.”

“Marvelous.”

* * *

They said goodbye to Link and began heading up the mountainside. Paya wore her white Shiekah outfit and a backpack containing the food and some supplies. Zelda wore blue adventuring clothes with brown leather sections to protect her stomach and her arms. It was a dry, hot day, making the walk a little uncomfortable. Eventually they got high enough and the ground leveled out, and they found themselves in a small forest.

“Oh. This is the forest where the Great Fairy lives,” observed Zelda.

“It is!” beamed Paya. “How did you know?”

A dark expression crossed Zelda's face. She saw the vague edges of the petal fountain far away, through a jagged wall of old trees. “I've been there before.—Let's avoid it, Paya.”

“Certainly, Your Highness. I don't think the fountain works anyway.”

That was an interesting thing for Paya to say, Zelda thought. Oh well, there was no sense dwelling on it. For now, the plan that she'd decided on with Link was to follow the literal interpretation of the song. Voltfruit and squash, and next, a sleepover.

The girls continued walking along until the forest thinned out. They found themselves walking on bare grasslands on the top of the mountain. Zelda looked left, and she saw the smoldering peak of Death Mountain in the distance. Behind them, Hyrule Castle gleamed in its half-repaired glory.

In every direction, the lands of Hyrule lay stretched out like a map brought to life.

She followed a few paces behind Paya. She seemed to know where she was going. It was also endearing to see her eagerly smiling as she marched along, and seeing her face light up even brighter when they passed interesting land features. Paya truly loved this place. It was no wonder she liked to come up here.

Eventually they made it to a spot where they could see the Necluda region and a tiny Hateno village on the horizon.

This was where Paya stopped them. She dropped the backpack and opened it. First, she gingerly placed a large cloth on the ground. Then, she put all the boxed sandwiches in the middle.

“Is this the place?” said Zelda.

“Yes,” said Paya. She looked down at her picnic setup. “I always come here, anyway. If Your Highness wishes, we can move somewhere else…”

“No. I like it here.” They sat down. Zelda thanked Paya for the sandwiches, and they both started eating. Time passed, and some clouds started to roll in. Neither Zelda nor Paya thought it was anything serious, but eventually they felt the air start to cool and wind start to blow.

“Your Highness. It may rain soon,” said Paya.

“Hmm. How much time do you think we have?”

“We might be able to get back to the village if we hurry, but…”

“Let's pack up and see how far we can get. We can save the rest of the sandwiches.” They put everything into Paya's pack and started running. Just as they started down, they felt the first droplets hit their hair. “Oh no,” said Zelda. “How long would it take to run back?” said Zelda.

“It usually takes ten minutes—I'm sorry, Your Highness, I don't think we can make it.”

The rain suddenly got a little stronger. Not quite a white noise, but about halfway there. They felt the droplets soaking through the fabric on their shoulders. “Paya, is there somewhere closer where we can wait it out?”

“Hmm… If we keep going further on the mountain, there's a cave.”

“Let's try that.”

They ran as fast as they could to the place that Paya was talking about. Zelda thought she saw the silhouettes of three trees deep in the rain. “What are those?” she said loudly to be heard over the rain.

“Apple trees!”

Finally, they made it to a dripping cave entrance on a slick cliff face. Paya went in first to check for danger. There was nothing, so she came back out and brought Zelda in.

As soon as they were inside, Zelda collapsed wearily onto a large rock. Her muscles ached from the running.

“The rain is getting stronger, Your Highness,” said Paya. “And it looks like it could last at least an hour or two.”

“That's alright. We can finish our sandwiches too… Say, do you have any fire supplies in your pack?”

“Oh! I do. If it pleases Your Highness, I can start one immediately…”

“Please do. That way we can dry our clothes.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” And so, Paya got started building a fire, and Zelda watched the rain continue to get faster and more impenetrable outside.


	6. Stranded in Rain

Sheets of rain poured outside of the cave.

Paya had managed—just barely—to set some dry twigs from her pack on fire, using her survival knowledge from Shiekah training.

But the fire wasn't big enough. Not nearly. This wouldn't even begin to get their soaked clothes dry.

She had a growing fear that Her Highness was getting displeased with her. Thing after thing, turn after turn, everything had gone wrong that day.

It all began with their awkward interaction in the morning: a wild collision on the stairs that left them both reeling in pain. Paya still couldn't shake the feeling of awkward embarrassment of having handled Her Highness's chest like that. The queen had been surprisingly merciful, but Paya would make sure it never happened again.

Then, to make matters worse, their easy mountaintop tour had turned into a desperate attempt to escape rainfall. The surprise weather event made their hike crumble into nothing.

Now, she was about ready to tear her own hair out trying to get these twigs burning. Paya just had to put on a brave face… just wait out the rain, make sure the queen gets home safely, and try her best to keep Her Highness from catching a cold.

“It's okay, Paya,” said Zelda, who hugged herself to resist the growing chill. “There's only so much we can do with twigs. They only contain so much combustible material, after all.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

“You might as well get comfortable. We'll be alright.”

Paya winced at the remark. It was a painfuly tactful nudge to leave the fire be. It was no use trying anymore.

She didn't want to stop trying.

But… she swallowed her pride and obeyed. Paya sat down on a large, flat boulder and eyed Zelda from a distance. The two waited as tiny red embers slowly died.

The rain continued to get heavier. When would it ever end?

By this point, their little cave had become loud with the noise of rain outside.

Paya took this opportunity indulge herself. She pulled out a small set of panpipes and started to play a sad tune from her childhood. It made the rain feel a little less oppressive.

Zelda watched intently. After the final notes were played, she clapped quietly so as not to disturb the sad mood of the song. “It was beautiful,” she said after the song was over. “Where did you learn that?”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Paya put the panpipes back in her pack. “I-it's a Shiekah song of remembrance. I play it every year on the Day of Fireflies.”

“It was so sad,” Zelda said.

Paya blushed, but ultimately she couldn't shake the general feeling of defeat from the day's events.

“Paya,” said Zelda. “I have something to say to you. Please listen.”

Paya's ears perked up. “Yes, Your Highness?”

“Link and I. We're here for a reason.” Zelda watched the rain outside while she spoke. “But we don't know the exact reason. I'm sorry for that; we're trying to figure this thing out as quickly as we can.”

“I'm sure you and Master Link will solve it, whatever it is,” said Paya. “You two are unstoppable together. You saved Hyrule…”

Zelda felt a pulse in her head. That… memory… was painful. She didn't want any thoughts to resurface from those dark days. The horror of Calamity Ganon was too great and had affected her in ways that she was still recovering from. It had been a very real nightmare for her; but for everyone out here, it was a fairy tale. A cozy bedtime story. She turned her face away. She didn't want Paya to see any shiny lights in her eyes. “Yes, well… we may have saved Hyrule, but we also have a lot to be thankful for.”

It didn't seem like the rain was going to let up any time soon. While they were waiting, Zelda felt something cold on her hand. She pulled away quickly. “Huh?” She looked down at it. Between her fingers was strange, blue jelly.

“What is it, Your Highness?” said Paya. 

“My fingers… I think there's a strange secretion from the cave's wall…”

Paya got up immediately and walked over to Zelda. She looked hard at the substance. “Oh! This is nothing to worry about.”

Zelda swatted the air to get the jelly off. “Is it… dangerous?”

“It's a sleeping blue chuchu, I think.”

Zelda's eyes lit up. “What? A chuchu? I forgot all about these!”

“They're a lot friendlier now that the dark days have past.”

The two girls huddled over it, watching the jelly carefully. Its form was sprawled out on the downslope of the wall, just undulating slowly.

“Hey,” said Zelda, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I actually remember something about these. If we can collect some of its jelly… we can use it as a natural accelerant for the fire! We could even use it on some wet branches from outside!”

“Really?” said Paya. This could be her chance to redeem herself! “But… Your Highness… won't that hurt the chuchu?”

“Not necessarily. The chuchu's body is up there, sleeping against the wall, as you can see from the dark blue color. But this secretion coming down the rocks… that's just a byproduct that it doesn't need anymore. It's okay if we use that.”

“O-okay!” said Paya. “I have an empty sandwich box—let me try collecting some jelly for us, Your Highness.”

Zelda observed as Paya used a box to catch some jelly leaking from the rocks. Pretty soon she had the little box full of jelly.

Zelda nodded. “Okay. This should be enough. Could you get us some wood from outside? Even wet branches should work.”

“S-sure!” said Paya.

“Meanwhile, I'll try to get the embers going again.”

Paya went out into the buffeting rain and located several fallen tree branches. She fought against the wind to get back to the cave. By the time she returned, she was completely drenched. “Ah…” she whimpered.

Zelda clutched her hand. “Thank you for your sacrifice.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

They applied a small amount of jelly to each branch. Then, they carefully laid the treated branches on top of their small embers. Instantly, a burning smell wafted up in their faces.

“It's working…” said Paya.

“Yes…” said Zelda. Both their eyes were glued to it.

Then, like magic, the branches crackled into flames. First, the fire was small. Then, it grew to nearly five times its original size. Then, to ten times the original size. Before long, they had a roaring flame between them.

“YESSSSS!” they shouted. Both Paya and Zelda were so amazed, they couldn't take their eyes away from it. The rain was no longer a threat—they had everything they needed right here in the cave.

Zelda took a moment to squat next to the dormant blue chuchu. “Thank you, wittle jelly.”

Warmth washed over the cave. Paya could feel the edges of her white Shiekah tunic starting to dry. Meanwhile, she held her hands over the flames to get some warmth in her fingers.

A rustling sound came from Zelda. Paya looked over. “Your Highness, what are you..?”

Zelda froze. Her fingers clung to the lower hem of her tunic. She had been pulling it up, and it was halfway up her torso, revealing her abdomen. “Yes, Paya?”

“What are you doing?!”

Zelda flinched. “Drying off?”

“Stop that!”

“What? Why?”

“Don't do something so reckless!” said Paya, jumping in front of Zelda to block her from the cave entrance. “What if someone walks by and sees you?”

“Paya, I'm surprised at you. It's like a monsoon out there. I don't think anyone's going to—” Zelda took a step back, but her foot slid. It was a smooth section of the ground that caused her to lose her balance. “Aaaahh! she screamed, grabbing Paya by the jacket collar and accidentally dragging her down too.

They landed in a heap, Zelda on bottom, Paya on top.

"Ah..!” Zelda grunted.

“Your Highness!”

“Nnnnh…”

Paya shook her head, tears starting to well up in her eyes. “Can you breathe? You didn't get stabbed by the rocks did you?”

“… I'm okay…”

“Any pain?”

“I'm alright…” Zelda grimaced. She looked up at Paya's brown eyes, and both girls immediately started blushing.

They heard a voice coming from the rain. “—elda! Zelda!”

Paya and Zelda detached from each other and sprang to their feet. Link arrived at the entrance to the cave, holding several bamboo Kakariko umbrellas.

“Master Link!” Paya said. “You found us!”

Link distributed the umbrellas. “Are you two okay?”

“We are,” said Paya with trembling hands. “H-her Highness lived, see!?”

Zelda rolled her eyes, but then chuckled. “Paya has been very concerned with my safety. She is a respectable and professional Shiekah. I feel completely safe in her hands, and her grandmother Impa should be proud.”

“I knew she could be trusted,” said Link.

Paya blushed. “Uhhhh, okay…”

“Shall we all return to the village?” said Zelda. “Thank you for the umbrellas, Link.”

Link nodded, and Paya silently gave thanks to Hylia.

With that, they all traveled back down the mountain.

Link made sure to approach Paya as they all walked down. “Paya?”

“M-master Link? Can I help you?”

“I was going to ask about your horse.”

“Oh! Little Cookies is kept down at the Dueling Peaks. If the rain doesn't let up, we might not be able to go to him today…”

“Then we'll go tomorrow.” Link smiled. “If you want, that is. I've been looking forward to it.”

“Y-you have? That's so wonderful, Master Link!”

Zelda pulled Link aside and began whispering suspiciously. “Tomorrow? Link, we only agreed to stay for one night…”

“But Zelda,” said Link. “We've only done half of the Fairy's mission. We've only done the cooking part. Now all that's left is a sleepover.”

Zelda's face went red. “… Ah, I forgot about that part.”

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing!” Zelda averted her eyes, remembering both times that she had ended up underneath Paya. “It's just… No, it's fine. I'll do it. We're both girls, a sleepover should be a piece of cake…”

“You don't have to if you don't want to,” reassured Link.

“What else can we do? She can't have a sleepover with you! … I think she would die on the spot if you asked her.”

“Probably.” Link scratched his head.

“I just... don't... want anyone getting unexpectedly pregnant while we're here… I know you're technically the same age, plus one hundred years…”

Link held his hands up defensively.

“Ugh… I'm… I'm really sorry Link.” said Zelda, covering her mouth. “Forget I said that.”

All three continued down the mountain until they were back at Impa's house. The rain continued steadily around them, but luckily they had Link's umbrellas.

“Your Highness,” said Impa. “Welcome back. Do you intend to stay another night?”

Zelda and Link looked at each other. “Yes,” said Zelda, turning back to Impa.

“Then I would suggest visiting the bathhouse today. You can put it on the Shiekah clan's tab. We'll take care of it.”

“The bathhouse? This place really is old-fashioned,” said Zelda with excitement. After all these years, Kakariko Village was still the same. “We'll have to visit it, then.”

Link, Zelda, and Paya all started to get ready. It was time to relax! But Zelda was feeling something uncertain deep in her stomach. She found herself trying to avoid eye contact with Paya.

What was going on?


	7. Restoring Body and Mind

Kakariko Village had a soft green tint after the rain had stopped. And thank goodness it had stopped—Link was afraid it might turn into an actual lightning storm. The opposite had happened, in reality. It had been just enough rain to soak everyone's gardens and to fill up the rivers a bit higher. A calm relaxation had returned to village.

He, Queen Zelda, and Paya all wore Kakariko bathrobes (borrowed from Paya) as they walked in sandals to the bathhouse.

But, just as they were about to duck under the curtain of the bathhouse, Link turned and noticed that Zelda had stopped suddenly in her tracks.

“Um…” she began. “I have… something else to take care of right now.” She pushed a braid behind her ear and shrugged. “You two go ahead… I'll just take a bath later.”

Link nodded without question. As her bodyguard, he was used to random changes in plans due to royal business. It came with the territory of Zelda being a queen, it seemed. Part of him wondered if it was some urgent order she needed to write.

Link and Paya stood in their dark blue bathrobes as they watched Zelda walk away.

Paya blinked. “That was really sudden…”

Link nodded.

“Is Her Highness… alright?”

“I think so.” He sighed. “Things like this happen surprisingly often… It's probably royal business. Sometimes she has to write letters to her officiaries across Hyrule Kingdom. Other times she has some unexpected ceremonial responsibilities which are culturally important. It's usually something like that.”

“That sounds like a lot of work,” Paya said with a concerned expression.

“It is,” agreed Link. “Sometimes I wonder how she keeps up with all of it.”

“Hmm…” Paya nodded. Then, her muscles froze. She realized just… how… close… she was to Link right now. They were right next to each other. In fact, if she accidentally moved just a little bit… JUST a little bit… she would bump right into his strong, resilient arm…

He had a good smell…

Her eyes drifted up his arm to his shoulder, then to the collar of his robe. Then she looked wide-eyed at his strong neck.

This man… could probably match a Moblin in a battle of raw strength…

“Paya? … Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Paya snapped back to reality.

“You looked like you were about to fall over!”

“I did?” she said. She searched desperately for an excuse. She hid her face with her hand as her cheeks became red. “It was nothing! Nothing…”

“Alright,” he said. “Well, um… shall we go inside?”

“O-of course. I guess I can g-give you a quick introduction. This is the bathhouse,” she said. “Y-you've been to places like this right, Master Link?”

“No, I haven't actually,” said Link. “I'm more accustomed to the castle, where there are private bathrooms for everyone.”

“Really? Well, that's okay. These places are easy to use. The only difference is you might run into other people from the village… It's normal.”

“Oh, okay.” They passed under the green entryway curtain and found themselves in a wide room lit by natural light from windows on the left and right. Two curtained passageways on the back wall led deeper into the building. At the center of the far wall, there was a booth, inside of which sat a strong middle-aged Kakariko man.

They approached the man, but soon they realized something was wrong.

“Um… Clerk Dancon..?” whispered Paya.

They heard a loud snore from the man. Several strands of gray hair blew upward from his face whenever he exhaled, and his eyes were peacefully shut.

“I guess he doesn't expect customers at this time of day,” said Link.

“He's fast asleep… What do I do..? Well, I think I'll just write our names on the sheet here, and the Shiekah clan will take care of the cost.”

Link did a double-take at Paya. “Wait, can we really just let him sleep like that?”

Paya looked nervously at the clerk. She really didn't like the idea of waking someone up from a peaceful nap. “Dancon is a very trusting man… if he wakes up, I can just explain that we've added our names.”

“Alright,” said Link. He felt like a criminal doing this! “I'll follow your lead.”

Paya wrote their names in the guest sheet beside Dancon's large, hairy arm. “Okay, our names and tabs are on the list. We can go in now.”

Link followed Paya toward one of the curtains on the back wall. They passed under its red fabric and Link followed her to some lockers. Just as Paya opened one of the lockers, she noticed Link, as if for the first time. “M-master Link?”

Link took a step back and tilted his head quizically.

She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You're in the girls' changing room. You can't… um… ohhh, if anyone else is in here, this will be bad!”

“The… girls' changing room?” Link scratched his head. Then, his face went pale. “— wait, is that why the curtain was red?

"Yes!” she said. “F-follow me. I'll show you the boys' side.”

Link was surprised when she grabbed his hand tightly and pulled him along.

She brought him out to the main room again and let him go. “There,” she said, pointing to a yellow curtained hallway. “That's your side, Master Link…”

“Oh, I see!” Link nodded and walked to it. “Thanks Paya.”

“Of course, Master Link…”

They went into their respective changing rooms. Link walked up to the lockers and unequipped his robe into one of them.

* * *

It was a relaxing bath. Link hadn't used hydromelon soap that refreshing before, nor had he ever tried chillshroom-based shampoo. He hadn't seen anyone else in there.

“How was it?” said Paya nervously when he finally came back into the main entrance area.

“It was a pleasant experience,” said Link. “I was surprised I didn't see anyone else there!”

“Really? I didn't see anyone on my side either.” Paya felt a bit of disappointment. No one else had been in there, which meant… it would've been fine she had let him stay on the girls' side…

Right..?

“Inappropriate…” she whispered to herself.

Link didn't hear anything, but he noticed that she was deep in thought. Both feeling physically refreshed, they made their way back to the house.

Zelda and Impa were talking kingdom reconstruction in the main room.

Impa noticed them come in. “Ah, the rest of the family has returned. You missed quite a discussion.”

“Paya!” said Zelda. “Before I put it off for any longer—I have a question.” She glanced at Link before returning her eyes to Paya.

“Yes, Your Highness?” said Paya meekly, arms retracting into the sleeves of her bathrobe.

“How would you like to have a sleepover?”

“A… sleepover?” Paya looked extremely confused. Maybe even a little alarmed.

“That's right.”

“I suppose, if Your Highness wishes it to be so…”

Zelda began blushing. “I feel like it might be fun.”

“Alright then,” said Paya. “I will bring an extra futon to… your room?”

Link wasn't sure why Zelda was blushing, but everything was now going according to plan. Pretty soon they would get the Master Sword upgraded. He could almost feel its power already. It would be so worth it.

“Perfect,” said Zelda.

With plans in place, Zelda got ready to go to the bathhouse by herself. This whole quest would be finished tonight, with the completion of the sleepover. Then, they could petition the Fairy for their reward. A pile of upgraded ancient weapons.

Soon, it would all be worth it.


	8. Sleepover

“Just remember the goal,” Zelda repeated to herself as she paced the tatami floor of her temporary room. “Number one, have some normal sleepover fun. Something easy… Two, get a good night's sleep for the normal amount of time. Seven to eight hours, at least. Finally, three, depart in the morning and get what the Fairy owes us. Easy.”

She stopped and closed her eyes.

She tried to extract even a tiny bit of solace from the full recitation of her plan, but it didn't have the effect she wanted. In fact, she was feeling more on edge than ever. It seemed like nothing would ease her mind. Throwing herself face-down onto her futon, she groaned in frustration at herself.

“Paya,” she mumbled quietly into the regal purple sheets. “You don't know what you've done to me…”

As if on cue, there was a tiny tap on the paper door.

Zelda got back up on her feet and took a moment to dust off her regal, blue nightgown. Then, collecting herself with some deep breaths, she walked to the door. Finally, she slid it open.

Paya bowed deeply in the doorway. “Excuse me for the intrusion, Your Highness.”

Zelda waved dismissively at her overly formal behavior. “Please, come on in. I hope it's cozy in here.”

Paya carried a wrapped up futon with blankets. She wore dark fabric pajamas. In a pinch, they could be used as effective sneaking gear—once again, Zelda was reminded how serious the Shiekah were about being ready to protect her at a moment's notice. “Thank you, Your Highness,” she said as she entered.

Paya's face paint looked warmly red in the light of Zelda's paper lantern. Zelda sidestepped and allowed her to come in. Zelda pondered about exactly what kind of training the Shiekah had to go through… It must involve a lot of exercise, both mental and physical. After all, it was their sole purpose to protect the royal family.

Taken as an individual, though, Paya didn't seem like the kind of person with that fortitude. Zelda watched the girl roll out her futon and straighten up the small blanket on top of it.

Paya put down her futon several feet away from Zelda's, probably in an effort to be respectful.

Zelda closed the door gently. Her forehead was sweating for some reason. “It's such a quiet night. And cold.”

“Yes,” said Paya, sitting down. “It always is that way after a rain.” That seemed to remind her of something. “Oh! … our hike earlier today…”

“Overall, despite the rain, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm glad we went.”

“Thank goodness…” Paya sighed. A lot of anxiety seemed to evaporate from her, as her shoulders visibly relaxed.

“Oh, look Paya!” Zelda spun around to display her shimmering blue nightgown. “What do you think? I know, it may be old-fashioned. A-hundred-year-old-fashioned, in fact…”

“It looks good, Your Highness! I wish I looked that good in classical clothes.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Zelda bowed regally. _Classical_ , huh? “Speaking of our hike, I've been wondering about something. I remember you saying that you've been to the Great Fairy fountain before.”

“Oh! Is Your Highness interested in Kakariko culture? … The fountain is a beautiful place. And you're right! I did go. It was a… highly humbling experience.”

“Hmm… Humbling?”

“What can I say about it… I'd always heard stories that the Fairy could come out, especially if the big flower was open,” said Paya. She sighed sadly. “I guess I shouldn't have had my hopes so high. The Fairy didn't come out. She must just be a legend.”

That crooked Fairy, Zelda thought. Meanwhile, she got onto on her futon, which was raised on a tatami platform. She lay prone, looking at Paya and resting her chin. Now to ask the main question… to figure it all out. “Was there a… particular reason you tried to go to the Fairy?”

A few seconds passed before Paya responded. “No particular reason.”

Zelda squinted her eyes.

“It was just impulse,” muttered Paya. “I think I was really concerned about something. It must have been a few months ago at this point.”

The gears were turning in Zelda's head. She would get to the bottom of this, here and now. “I've heard that some people go to Fairies hoping to get wisdom. Others go for food… et cetera.”

“Food,” said Paya. “I guess if I was really hungry, I could imagine going up there for that reason.”

“Me too.” Zelda nodded. “And, would you say the food here is okay?”

“Yes. I love the food here. And Impa always tells me to eat more to build up my muscles.”

Zelda hummed. It was clear now that Paya did not go up there asking for voltfruits, or any other kind of food. She probably also didn't go up there asking for a sleepover. If those two could be ruled out, then… the only remaining option was sex.

It was time to abandon this. This was not the kind of sick game Zelda wanted to be a part of. Despite the unexpected attraction she felt toward Paya, this was just not okay.

“Your Highness,” said Paya.

Zelda emerged from her thoughts. “Yes?”

“When me and Link went to the bathhouse… what did you do?”

Zelda's calm demeanor cracked. “Oh, uh…”

What could she say to that? That she was desperately trying to avoid any more embarrassing situations at all costs?

No, she couldn't say something that blunt. She had to think of a lie. “It was… something… to do with… um…” Not good. This was not good.

She hadn't expected this to come up again at all.

“Are you okay, Your Highness?”

“Um. Yes, I'm okay. As I was saying, the reason why I didn't go was… you know… you see…”

“Oh! Link told me earlier that everyone at Hyrule Castle uses private bathrooms. Is that it?”

Zelda paused. That was a good excuse. And it didn't reveal any of her confusing feelings. “That's exactly it.”

“It's okay, Your Highness—but you don't have to worry around me. I'm sworn to protect you… All the Shiekah are sworn to protect you. And we would do it, clothed or not!”

“Oh. Is that so?”

“Absolutely!”

Zelda laughed, and rolled wearily onto her back. She was glad to have navigated the hurdle of Paya's question. This was an enjoyable conversation overall. And, it was made even more enjoyable by the soft mattress underneath her, and the feeling of her purple comforter on her fingers. But she was aching for some reason. Probably because of all the running they did on the mountain.

Paya lay back in her own futon. Both women stared at the ceiling.

Zelda cleared her throat. “Do you… like anyone who lives in the village?”

“Th-that's an embarrassing question, Your Highness!”

“Sorry,” Zelda chuckled.

“Well… Most of the villagers aren't my age, and those that are, I'm just friends with.”

“Aren't your age? How old are you?”

“Twenty-four,” said Paya.

“Ah, I thought so. You're the same age as Link, you know. Minus a hundred years.”

“Wh-what?”

“That's right,” Zelda thought about it. “And I'm a couple of years older than him, which makes me slightly older than you.”

“I'm the same age as Master Link..?”

Zelda's jaw muscles tightened. Her rational mind was well aware that Paya was deeply in love with Link. And, rationally, that shouldn't be a problem.

But the more she thought about it, the more her arms felt weak and her blood felt cold. Why was she so sad about Paya's preference for Link? It wasn't supposed to matter at all.

Zelda wiped the sweat off her forehead.

“Your Highness?” said Paya. She stood up. “Your Highness, you look pale.”

“I'm just…” Zelda flinched as she felt the Shiekah trainee's ice-cold hand press against her forehead. Paya leaned over Zelda, looking into her eyes. The girl's Shiekah face paint eye stared down at her.

“… You're burning up…”

“Th-that's impossible… We have to leave tomorrow, I—”

Paya brushed the hair out of Zelda's eyes, then clenched the queen's hand. “Stay here. I have to tell Master Link, and I'll bring you some water.”

“I can't be sick,” mumbled Zelda. Before she knew it, she was alone in the room. Moments later, her head started to throb.

Okay, maybe she was sick.


	9. Recovery I

The morning sun filtered through the iron grille in the wall. There was a pleasant breeze flowing in just above Paya's head. The warm air of summer. If she strained her ears, she could distant birds singing among the leaves and the rushing, calming white noise of the waterfall. It was such a nice day, considering… but why was she so afraid?

Paya plunged a pale, blue washcloth into a warm bucket of water. Then, after she pulled it back out, she twisted it in the middle, letting the droplets fall back into the bucket.

Queen Zelda's eyes were shut tight, and her eyebrows were furrowed in pain. Her eyes untensed when Paya carefully lay the washcloth onto her forehead.

“Paya…”

“Yes?”

“I need to speak with Link alone…”

“O-of course, Your Highness. I will get Master Link right away. Do you need anything when I am back?”

“More water…”

“Water, okay.” Paya stood up and meekly took the bucket in her hands.

She left and slid the door shut. Deep in her stomach, she was growing uneasy about the way Zelda had been talking lately. Last night, Zelda had seemed awfully curious about random things like the Great Fairy on the mountain. Something felt bad. But Paya couldn't pin down what it was. In spite of that, she would keep taking care of the queen until she was healthy again. That was her only purpose right now.

Bucket sloshing in hand, she climbed the stairs and emerged into the main room of the house.

Impa sat in her usual spot at the back of the room. Link stood in the middle of the wooden floor, legs apart and arms brandishing a wooden sword at shoulder level.

“Master Link..?” said Paya.

Link relaxed his battle pose. “Paya—any news?”

“H–her Highness is still sick-looking. I gave her medicine.”

Link nodded.

“And she told me that she wants to talk to you alone…”

“Alone? Oh, okay,” he said.

Impa chimed in. “Link, do not be worried. The queen's illness is nothing. She just needs a few days of rest, regular doses of Shiekah medicine, and she'll be fine. But you—” She pointed at Link. “—Your sword stance was off-balance. I'm wondering… do you need a demonstration from a real Shiekah warrior?” She looked at Paya.

Paya's eyes went wide. “Eep!” She hid herself behind a shelf as quickly as a swimming Zora.

Link put down the wooden sword in front of Impa. “Maybe another time. Excuse me, Teacher, I'll be right back.” He walked to the trap door at the corner of the room.

\---

Within twenty seconds, he had made it underground and was at Zelda's door. He put his hand on it. “Hello? Zelda?”

Out came Zelda's weak voice. “Are you alone?”

Link glanced around himself. “Yes.”

“Good… Come in.”

He slid open the door, and held his hand over his eyes as he adjusted to the natural light coming in from the wall vent.

Zelda lay cocooned under two stacked blankets. Her emerald eyes struggled to stay open. A wet washcloth was on her forehead. She peered at Link with a sidelong look. “Just my luck, huh?”

Link laughed, and Zelda managed a few short chuckles.

“Link,” she said lowly. “Go to the Great Fairy… On my orders… and see if you can't wrest our reward from her greedy, glittering fingers.”

Link was taken aback.

“I'm done playing games for her,” said Zelda. The words would have sounded strong if they hadn't been uttered through an expression of physical pain.

Link kneeled in place. “I will do as you say.”

“Also,” said Zelda. She closed her eyes. “She likes you, you know.”

Link took a step back, his eyebrow going up. “Wha—? The Fairy?”

“No. I mean Paya.”

Link found himself blushing. “Oh. That's—Come on. She doesn't like me.”

“It's plain as day to me. She. Likes. You.”

“She's just not used to seeing a man walking around,” said Link. He wasn't sure how he felt about this, if it was true… If it was true, he had to think about what Paya meant to him.

“I just thought you should know,” said Zelda. She brought her hand out and applied pressure to the cloth on her forehead. “Because if you don't make a move… someone else might.”

Link scratched the back of his head. He wasn't really sure what she was getting at. “Anyway, I'll tell you how it goes with the Fairy. Oh—and Impa sent a message to Hyrule Castle about your condition.”

“I'm grateful.”

“I'll go now and do what you asked me to do.”

“Wait. Just a second. Which weapon will you bring to upgrade?”

“Oh. How about—” Link began, but he stopped himself. He was about to suggest the Master Sword again, but he knew that Zelda didn't like that idea. As queen, it would have to be her decision. “It's up to you,” he finished.

Zelda nodded. “I don't trust the Fairy with the Master Sword.”

“Why?”

“This Great Fairy… She has been strange, even since even before we came here. She hides in her flower and seems to ignore visitors…” Her discussion last night with Paya had been on her mind.

“Alright, then.” Link nodded. “I'll upgrade your ancient weapons instead.”

“Thank you…” Zelda sighed and pointed toward the corner of the room. “The weapons are in the bag. Take the whole bag, if you want.” She looked very tired.

He sidled along the edge of the room and got the bag. It was heavy and rattled with the sound of ancient weapons. “I got them.”

“Good luck, Link…”

* * *

Minutes later, Link emerged back upstairs. He was about to go out the front door when he noticed Paya watching him from the corner. Her ears perked up immediately.

“Master Link?”

“Zelda is sending me on an errand,” he said, shaking the weapons bag meaningfully. “Please take care of her while I'm gone.”

“O-of course!” said Paya. “Leave it to me.”

“Thank you, Paya,” He left, closing the front door behind him.

Paya clasped her hands over her chest and watched him out the window.

Impa chuckled under her bamboo hat.

“A–ah?” Paya spun around. “Grandmother, w-why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason,” Impa sighed. “Just reminiscing, that's all.”


	10. Recovery II

It had been several hours since Link had left to confront the Fairy.

Paya bounded down the stairs with a spring in her step. She carried a plate of juicy fried Cucco eggs, steamy rice, and cooked apple slices on the side. She hummed one of her favorite traditional Kakariko songs as she arrived in front of Zelda's door. “Your Highness~,” she sang. “Lunch time~!”

She heard the queen mumble something behind the door, but it was too muffled from the paper door.

“Um… I didn't hear you… Is it okay if I come in?”

“Yes…” That time it was loud and clear.

Paya slid open the door.

Zelda lay motionless under her blankets like always. Her green eyes stared up at the ceiling, giving off the impression of intense brooding as well as disappointment at the state of the world. Her long, yellow hair was splayed out messily around her head.

“Your Highness,” said Paya musically, to try and bring up the mood. “I think you'll like these a lot! The eggs are from the cute little Cuccos down the road a ways! Link told me how to make them earlier today, and they smell sooooo good.”

Zelda exhaled and looked tiredly at Paya. “I don't think…”

Paya's ears perked up.

“I'm sorry. I'm afraid I just don't have much of an appetite.”

“Please just one bite,” insisted Paya, holding out the plate. “For your health. You need to eat something. For me.”

Zelda groaned. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. It was already late afternoon, and but she felt as bad as ever. Her head was still burning up, and she could barely think coherent thoughts. With great effort, and a lot of pain shooting through her back and her limbs, she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

Paya waited until Zelda was ready, and then set the plate down on her lap.

Zelda looked down at the food. She couldn't really tell if it looked good or not because of her nonexistent appetite. But… the colors were pretty anyway. It must have taken a lot of time to make, which Zelda really did appreciate. She took the crude iron fork in hand, lifted it up, and with slow movements she sectioned off a piece of the fried egg. The egg was shiny and yellow. It reflected some of the sunlight coming into the room from the vent. Then, scraping the bottom of the plate, she scooped the section of egg into a bit of the rice, and then brought the food up to her mouth and started chewing it.

Gulp.

Now that the queen had a bite of something nutritious going down, Paya felt far more assured. She politely took the plate and fork and set them down on the small bookshelf. “It will be right here when you want more. Please try to eat most of it before sunset.”

Zelda nodded, and her head sank down. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Of course.”

“Aren't you worried that you might get sick from me?”

“What can I say, Your Highness..?” said Paya. She fidgeted with her hair. “I'm the one who took you out into the wilderness. You probably caught something out there because of me. And I was with you when you started fevering…” After a brief moment of silence, she sat herself down on the side of Zelda's bed. “… and, even if that weren't the case, I'd willingly take care of you.”

The sudden close proximity of Paya on the bed made Zelda keenly aware of herself. Her heart was speeding up, causing her head to throb with pain. “Paya—I,” she began, before she felt a blush spring to her face. “Oh no… I must drag myself… away from this precipice…”

“Your Highness?”

Zelda couldn't help it. “I have something to say to you, Paya…”

“Are you okay?” Paya looked genuinely worried.

“I'm fine. Okay, okay. I'll just come out and say it.” Zelda took a deep breath. The dam broke loose. She spoke a little louder than she should have. “P–paya, I think you're cute!”

They both froze as they heard a bird fly out of a tree outside the wall vent.

Paya's pupils shrank down to pinpoints. “Wha…” She paused for a brief moment, processing what she had just heard. Then, her cheeks turned gradually red, and she got off the futon and took five clumsy steps to the wall. Her back impacted the wall with a _thump_. “Y-y-you think I'm c–c–cute!?? And, when you say that, y–you're talking about..?”

Zelda nodded. She knew Paya was concerned with the exact connotation of cute.

Paya brought hands to her cheeks and went into full-on blush. “So it's t–true… So… That's why…” Her shoulders leaned back against the wall. She could feel her own heart pumping now through her chest. She drew her hands up shyly, and looked at the queen. “Your Highness,” she said, “please don't toy with me like this..!”

“Paya… I'm not toying with you.”

Paya's eyes betrayed immense worry and suspicion, but she cautiously sighed. “Then… thank you,” she said. “N–no one has ever called me that before…”

“I'm sorry for springing that on you.”

“N–no…”

Zelda made a sad expression. “I would understand if you're uncomfortable now, after hearing that. If you don't want to take care of me anymore, you don't have to. I won't blame you, Paya.”

“No,” said Paya. She finally stopped leaning against the wall and supported herself on her own two feet. There was an air of acceptance in the way she moved. “I'm not going anywhere. I'm taking care of you, Your Highness.”

“Huh? You want to keep taking care of me? Even after..?”

“Of course.”

Zelda nodded.

“And, I think I should s–say while we're here…” Paya covered her blushing face with her fingers. “I th-think you're very pretty too, Your Highness!”

Zelda couldn't help but smile, despite the pain in her face.

Paya's eyes scanned up and down Zelda's blanketed form. “Please remember to eat and drink. I will get you water whenever you need it. … You're still wearing your nightgown from last night?”

“Oh, the blue one? Yes. It hurts to move myself much, so I haven't had the willpower to switch into something else. I will try.”

Paya's face became deep red. “D–do you need any help?”

“Help? What do you mean?”

“S–switching clothes, I mean…”

Zelda's eyes widened.

They looked into each other's eyes, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly the sound of the waterfall from out the wall vent seemed very loud. Light from the evening sun still filtered in through the vent, lighting up most of the room in a purple glow.

Zelda swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She shivered under her blanket. “Yes. Please help me, Paya…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have NSFW nudity. Please feel free to skip it if that isn't your cup of tea.


	11. Hateno Pajamas

Purple, evening light filtered through the grille on the wall.

“Okay, I have your new clothes… Please sit up, arms up…”

Zelda obeyed the words of the Shiekah, sitting up and lifting her arms up. The exertion caused pain to shake through her muscles. She endured it. Her limbs trembled, and distress showed on her forehead.

Paya wasted no time; she stood behind Zelda and grabbed the hems of her sleeves and pulled them up ever so gently, bringing the gown over the queen's head.

Within moments, Zelda felt her abdomen touch the icy air. The sudden cold made her muscles tighten. She gritted her teeth. This fever was merciless! It made everything, EVERYTHING feel like the chilled hull of a deactivated Guardian. Oh well… She desperately wished that the Shiekah Slate had a fire-based Rune that could fix it. But the Slate just had bombs, and that wouldn't be very helpful right now. One thing was for sure, though: she couldn't wait to get back under the blankets after all this was over!

Her shimmering blue gown finally came off. That was when she became keenly aware of how physically exposed she was. Out of instinct, she covered her bare chest with her arms and turned away from Paya. Zelda's teeth chattered pathetically, and she hugged herself for the meager warmth her body could provide. It wasn't nearly enough.

Paya tried not to look, but she found her eyes darting toward Zelda's smooth back. “L–let's get you changed quickly,” said Paya.

Zelda looked down at her thighs. It was important to hurry, but… she also didn't want to waste this chance… Her thoughts started wandering. What exactly _did_ Paya think of her? It was clear that the girl's eyes were for Link, mainly, but she also seemed to at least appreciate Zelda's appearance. Was that the extent of it?

Zelda smiled, though. Just remembering Paya's compliment—“you're very pretty”—from earlier was enough to melt away a bit of the cold. Her shoulders relaxed.

“Y-your Highness..?”

“Yes, Paya?”

“You still have to take off your, um…”

Zelda's blinked as she looked down at her dark blue panties. “Oh. Right.” She shook her head, yellow hair swaying behind her. She swallowed, and took off her panties while trying not to think about it.

Meanwhile, Paya turned around and grabbed the stack of new clothes—a warm set of maroon Hateno cotton pajamas. “Here, Your Highness. I brought down some of my pajamas for you to wear—”

“Paya..?” said Zelda. The queen's voice was soft.

“You can put them on while I'm not looking—”

“Paya…”

A hand touched the side of Paya's arm.

Paya didn't dare move. Curiosity slowly got the best of her, though, and she turned her head toward Zelda.

Zelda's emerald eyes struggled to maintain steady eye contact. Her face was red… even more than before. Embarrassment was written across her face. She sat on her knees, hugging her large pillow to her belly. Her chest was fully exposed to Paya, pushed forward in an elegant way that only royalty could manage. Sweat was visible on her collarbone and forehead. Her breasts curved gently on her chest, with pinkish nipples that were just barely visible in the darkening evening light. Her yellow braids wrapped her head elegantly. However, the regal impression was all but foiled by her overall weary and shy demeanor.

She still held onto Paya's arm.

Paya jumped back and covered her eyes. “Y–Your Highness!”

“I, uh…” Zelda said. Then, she swayed back and forth for a brief moment. “… want you to know…”

Just before she toppled over, Paya sprang into action and caught the queen in her arms. “Are you okay!?”

“I'm sorry,” said Zelda. “Something's going on… my head…”

“Hush,” coaxed Paya. “Rest… I–I think you overexerted yourself. You deserve some time to relax. I'll help you get dressed.” Zelda seemed placated for the moment, so Paya helped her finally put on the new underwear and pajamas. Soon, the queen was lying warmly under the blankets.

Paya exhaled tiredly. Then, she left the room to get some water for the queen.

As she climbed the stairs, her heart was racing. She blushed as she realized it was the same reaction she had whenever Link was in the room. Yes, and it was the same feeling…

She couldn't stop thinking about the queen…

* * *

The ground crunched under Link's feet as he climbed the mountain. The sky was clear, but it was getting dark. He rolled his shoulders, shifting the weight of the ancient weapons from one side to the other.

Finally, as he crested a hill, he saw the large pink flower whose petals sagged out onto the grass. In the deepening darkness, the fountain almost looked like a Guardian. He made his way to it, glancing behind himself several times.

A small mushroom ramp appeared before him, accompanied by haunting, disembodied laughter. It led up to the edge of the flower.

Link shook from a chill in his spine.

He took a few steps up the mushrooms. When he made it to the top of the ramp, dark floral waters rippled and reflected his image back up at him.

“Fairy..?” he said.

The water began to slosh. This time Link was ready. He grabbed his shield and held it over his head. He didn't want a repeat of last time, when he and Zelda had gotten an unexpected and unwelcome shower.

The Great Fairy burst out of the pool and water fell everywhere, pattering loudly on the surface of Link's shield. “Oh,” the Fairy said. When she saw him, the veil of darkness seemed to lift from the forest. Everything became lit with blue fireflies, and every surface now seemed to glow with pale green life. It was as if darkness had never, ever existed in this part of the forest.

“Welcome back, Champion,” she said warmly. Her extravagant blond hair curled over her forehead, and she rested her chin on her hands, fingers intertwined.

“Uh, thanks. Great Fairy… I'm here to see about a reward.” Link dropped the bag of weapons onto one of the giant petals of the fountain. “Can you upgrade them?”

“Hmm~” The Great Fairy picked up the bag with two fingers and tested its weight. “All of these weapons?”

“Yes. You promised—”

“Oh. Oh dear.” She tsk-tsk'd at him. Link narrowed his eyes. She set the weapons back down and shook her head. “Such a true and valiant attempt, but…” she said.

“What?”

“It's sad. You and the queen… you've gone through a lot trouble for this girl, haven't you?”

“Of course.” Link crossed his arms. “And, you know, I've had a great time. But now that we finished the quest, we would appreciate it if you'd reward us now. We really want to get back to the castle.”

“Brave champion, I can't upgrade these without the resolution of Paya's concern. It's impossible—”

“Upgrade them,” Link said. His eyes became angry and he readied his hand on the sword behind him. It was not the Master Sword, but it was durable and made of iron. It would be good enough. “Upgrade our weapons. Now.”

The Fairy looked at the Hylian in disbelief. “Calm down, Champion. I've had my fun. I've played my tricks. Please…” She looked at his weapon.

He noticed the direction of her gaze and let go of the sword hilt.

“Thank you,” she said. “*sigh*. Rupees can only do so much. That's why I asked you to help me on this matter.”

“What matter?” Link shouted. “We hundred percented everything you asked us to do.”

“No. I admit I did tease you two with some misleading imagery…” she said. “But don't worry! You're on the right track. … I sense that Zelda may wrap up everything by tonight, if things continue the way they have been.”

“Wha—?” Link was utterly confused. “I really don't understand.”

“My boy. The Shiekah girl wants to experience something very personal.” The Fairy chuckled and poked Link on the chest. “She desires _sex_. It worries her to no end that she won't find a kind and gentle person.”

Link rubbed his chest. “Wait… Zelda was right…”

“And she's on track to unlock the magic very soon. When she does, I will certainly upgrade her weapons. But if _you_ can show Paya the loyalty and love she so desires, the magic will be yours to use on your favorite sword.”

“The Master Sword.” Link crossed his arms and considered everything.

“I really can't do anything for you right now,” said the Fairy. “The deal isn't complete. But come back when it is.”

Link exhaled in defeat. “Alright, alright. Ugh… Zelda is going to be so disappointed in me.”

“I think she's far too preoccupied at the moment,” said the Fairy, winking. “Good luck, Link. I sincerely hope everything goes well for your esteemed hostess Paya.”

“Yeah,” said Link. “I may get demoted for letting you live.”

Link left the fountain, and as he left, the light seemed to fade again. It was now completely night time. He lit a torch.


	12. Empty-handed

It was late at night when quiet house's front door opened. The sound of cicadas flooded in for a brief moment.

Paya continued scrubbing the floor as she watched Link come in.

His blue eyes were tired, and he focused his gaze on the wooden floor as if he was deep in thought. Over his shoulder, he carried the same bag that he was carrying earlier.

She smiled. “Master Link! Welcome home.”

“Oh, hi Paya.” He eased the bag of ancient weapons off of his shoulder and set it gently onto the floor.

“Were you able to finish Her Highness's errand?”

“Unfortunately, no. They were, uh… closed tonight.”

“Oh.” She shook her head. “You made the whole trip, but for nothing…”

“Yeah,” muttered Link. “I think… I think I'm going to go take a bath. Get things off my mind.”

Paya nodded. “They do say that a hot bath, well, it can make even the worst feelings go away. Um… do you need company, or..?”

They looked at each other for a second.

Paya suddenly realized what she had said. “Wait, I…” She covered her face with her fingers. “That's not what I—no, I was just..!”

“Oh, I thought for sure you meant—”

“Don't you dare say it!”

Link chuckled. “Okay, okay.”

Paya gave an exasperated sigh. But, she couldn't help but smile a little. “Master Link…”

The quiet sound of wind outside made them pause for a moment. After it died down, Link resumed talking. “Yes, I think I better go alone tonight. I need to figure out exactly what I'm going to tell Zelda. Or if I even need to say anything. Well, only time will tell.” Link took a moment to lean against the entrance doorframe. “… Is she doing better?”

“Yes! She is getting better. She had quite a lot of unexpected, um, energy earlier.” Her heart thumped as her mind went back to Zelda's naked body.

“I'm glad to hear that.”

“Grandmother Impa was right; this is just a common fever from the hills. Nothing to worry about.”

“How long do you think until she's better again?”

“Ah. Well, um…” Paya's eyes narrowed as she thought about it. “I think she may be fairly independent in the next day or two. But take that with a grain of salt.”

“We might be leaving shortly afterward, if all goes according to plan.”

“Oh…” Paya's face deflated. “Okay.”

Link noticed her expression and immediately wished he could take back what he just said, but it was too late. “… Anyway, I guess I'll go get my robe.”

“U–um… Please walk quietly down there. She needs her rest,” said Paya. “She's been through a lot today.”

Link nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

She bowed as he walked over to the trap door.

However, just as he was about to descend to the underground, he stopped himself short. After a moment of hesitation, he turned back to look at her with his ocean blue eyes.

She felt the sudden weight of his stare. “M–master Link?” she said.

“I was just…” He put his hand on his eyes and rubbed them. “Sorry, I think I spaced out there. I'm just… tired. I was going to ask, are you going to see Zelda again tonight?”

“Yes. She needs another dose of medicine. I'm taking it to her shortly.”

“Do you want me to take it to her? That way you can turn in early?”

Paya paused, then shook her head. “No… no, if you go in there, you might get sick. It has to be me.”

“Okay,” Link said. “I'm going to get my robe and go to the bathhouse. Thanks for taking such good care of her, Paya.”

“Yes, Master Link…”

She watched him disappear down the stairs.

* * *

Link sighed as he sank into the bathhouse's hot water. Almost immediately, his concerns about the Fairy and Zelda dissipated…

Ah…

He rested peacefully against the wooden rim of the bath, letting his head lean back on the painted mural behind him. He wasn't sure what exact location the mural depicted, but he knew it was in the Akkala region. He could tell by the prominence of Death Mountain and the red-tinted flora on the hills across the entire image.

This… This was peace…

He made the right choice. He was going to let Zelda… do what needed to be done… with Paya…

And he wouldn't think about it anymore. It was an intimate issue between them now. Incredibly intimate. And he wasn't about to interfere.

* * *

Zelda cradled the cup of medicinal tea in her hands. She brought it up and took a sip, and nearly bit her tongue because of how hot it was. It was now fully nighttime, and the girls were only able to see by the light of the room's small paper lantern.

“I'm sorry about how I acted earlier,” whispered Zelda. “It was the heat of the moment. I know it was not very fitting of a queen…”

Paya hugged her knees. “It's okay…. Just… give me a warning next time, okay..?”

“You have my word.”

Paya sighed and closed her eyes. “… I am… very confused right now, Your Highness…”

Zelda looked up at Paya's brown eyes.

“I'm trying to do my very best. But I… don't want to make a mistake. I don't know what to do, or what I want for myself. I have so many conflicting thoughts right now, pulling me in opposite directions. I need more time..!”

“Paya..?”

Paya wiped her eyes. “*sniff*… Oh… I'm so sorry, Your Highness…”

“No… You've nothing to be sorry about…” Zelda said, trying to hold back tears of her own. The cold feeling of guilt spread from her stomach to her heart.

“I say all this because…” Paya cleared her throat, and finally managed to gather her composure. “… I want you two to enjoy your last couple of days here.”

“Then we will,” whispered Zelda. Then, with her returning strength, she clenched her fist and smiled with determination. “Let's fill these next days with good memories!”

In what seemed like the first time in days, Paya gave a genuine smile. “Y–yes, Your Highness!”


	13. No More Cotera

“I'm free!” wailed Zelda. She pushed herself a few inches off the ground using the front porch's wooden railing and let her long yellow hair shake behind her ears. “I'm freeeeee~!!”

Clear, piercing light shone down from the sun. Warmth hit the houses and dew-soaked plants of Kakariko Village that had fallen cold during the night. The warmth felt good on Zelda's face. In front of her, a rush of wind fell into the valley, carrying a fresh scent that Zelda inhaled gratefully.

Link smiled, looking out at her from inside the house.

It was… an unbelievable relief to see the queen in a healthy state again. She had with her something that Hyrule desperately needed, which was heart. She loved everything in Hyrule: the people, the animals, the plants… She was devoted to studying it all, in the hopes of making life better for everyone. Link knew she would go down in history as a great ruler. She needed to stay healthy, no matter what.

Link nearly jumped out of his skin when Paya skidded to a halt beside him. She almost missed the doorway by a mile, but managed to catch herself on the doorframe. She spotted the queen immediately. “H-highness! WHAT are you doing!?” she protested.

Zelda spun around and grinned. “Ahaha! You heard me from upstairs?” 

“Hear you? I'd say the whole kingdom did!”

Zelda chuckled. “Well, I am feeling magnificent. Brand new, in fact. And it's all thanks to you.”

Paya exhaled in defeat, and looked at Zelda's eyes. “A… Alright. Please just don't go yelling while your throat is still healing, Your Highness. Your system needs a chance to recover.”

“Okay. I'll be careful from now on. Now… Link and I must discuss some sensitive matters alone. We may be gone for an hour or more, so please use this time to catch up on your training.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.” She bowed.

“We'll be back,” assured Zelda. Then, she and Link left.

* * *

Link and Zelda walked past the old entrance gate to Kakariko Village. The coolness of the terrain was starting to dissipate. The ground now actually felt a little warm to the touch.

“Well, Link. How was our puppetmaster yesterday?”

“The Great Fairy?” asked Link. He gave a pained sigh. “She… refused to upgrade the weapons.”

“… I see.” To Link's surprise, she did not seem angry. She continued, “That's a shame though. Did she give any reason why?”

“Well, uh,” Link started. He tugged on the collar of his shirt uncomfortably. “She said Paya's concern was not resolved. And, uhm…”

Zelda looked at him calmly as he stumbled for words.

“Y–your interpretation of the riddle was correct.”

“Well,” said Zelda, smiling a little. “At least we know for sure now.”

“So, how did it go last night..?”

“Hmm?” said Zelda. “What do you mean?”

“You know, you and Paya..?”

Zelda eyed him suspiciously. “What… exactly do you mean?”

“The Great Fairy said—you were about to—oh… uh, nevermind… She was probably playing more tricks on me…”

While they walked, they passed travelers on horses. The travelers waved, surprised to see the queen in such a rural area. Zelda waved back. It was good to see the kind faces of Hyrule just going about their daily activities. The years of darkness were over, and everyone could get back to just being themselves.

“So, what do we do about the Fairy?” Link said after the travelers were gone.

Zelda remained quiet for a while as their boots crunched on canyon grass and rocks. Finally, they both stopped in the cool shade of some large mountain boulders. It was starting to become a hot morning. “She loves to cause trouble doesn't she…” She hesitated. The gears in her head were turning. “Let's forget her.”

Link did a double take. “R–really?”

“I don't want anything to do with Cotera anymore. That's her name, by the way. I learned it from one of the books that Paya placed in my room.” Zelda shrugged. “Cotera drove a hard bargain and she went too high. As far as I'm concerned, she's lost us.”

Link's shoulders relaxed. “Alright. Then, we won't have anything further to do with her. I'm feeling better already.”

“You too, huh? Great…” Zelda suddenly remembered something. She crossed her arms and smirked knowingly at him. “Speaking of, Link… I have something to talk to _you_ about.”

Link saw her expression, and he immediately took two steps back. “Huh?”

“I know a certain Shiekah that you broke your promise with.”

Link racked his mind for anything like that. But, try as he might, he couldn't remember anything. “I don't think so.”

“Oh, don't tell me you forgot.”

“Wh–what are you even talking about?”

“Come on, Link! The horse!”

“Oh,” said Link. The memory came back to him like a bolt of lightning. It seemed like forever ago. Yes, Paya had mentioned her horse when they were sitting alone on the porch. Due to Zelda's illness, he was never able to go with Paya to the horse. He also remembered that Little Cookies was supposed to be stabled down at the Dueling Peaks Stable. It would a long walk from the village.

Link raised his hands. “Okay, okay. I remember now. But why are you bringing it up?”

“I just thought that, you know,” said Zelda. “It would be good to wrap things up while we're here.”

“You… want me to accept Paya's invitation?”

Zelda looked down. “Well… … … *sigh*. I refuse to lie to you, Link… We survived a war together, for Hylia's sake. What would I gain from keeping secrets from the person I trust the most?”

Link looked at her.

Zelda collapsed her hands over her heart. “You see, I find myself… um… you know… drawn to her… Do you understand?”

“… Of course…”

“But that doesn't change the fact that she invited you. And that's important. Especially since she doesn't usually make her own decisions like that. This was her idea… So, please accept her invitation.”

Link kneeled. “I will do as you ask.”

“Thank you.”

They started moving again through the canyon. They kept walking until they emerged and saw the entirety of Hyrule Field stretching out before them. For a brief moment, it seemed as if Hyrule Castle beckoned to them to return to royal life.

* * *

It was noon. It was so bright out that Link had to hold his hand over his eyes. He could already feel himself sweating. It wasn't a problem at all—he liked hot days the best.

Paya stood beside him. Her knees were bent, her hands up in fists, and an excited look was on her face. She looked like a little Rito about to see its siblings hatch for the first time. Her ears perked up. “Th–that was him! Did you hear that? I can hear Cookies..!”

Link saw her excitement and he couldn't help but smile.

The stable master emerged. He was a man with a spiky mustache and a patchy maroon jacket. He held some reins in his hand, which led back to a horse behind him. It was a strong, dark-coated stallion with white polka-dots on his flanks.

“Little Cookies!” said Paya.

The horse whinnied when he saw his owner, and trotted up to her.

“Ooooooh, I'm sorry Cookies!” she said, stroking his forehead. She pressed her head into his neck. “I should come down here more often, shouldn't I?”

“Wow, Paya,” said Link. “I… I didn't expect him to be so big.”

“He's _is_ big, but he's as gentle as can be, Link.”

“May I?” Link said.

Paya scratched the horse neck a little. “Little Cookies. Link wants to say hi… Go on. Link won't hurt you.”

Little Cookies watched lazily as the Champion of Hyrule came near. Link held out a hand in greeting, and Little Cookies sniffed him. A quiet whicker escaped the horse's throat, and he lowered his head to allow Link to pet him.

Link had to stop and hold his chest from cuteness overload. “He's… amazing..!” Link whispered, before finally petting Cookies on the head.

Paya put her hands over her mouth and inhaled in amazement. “He likes you Link!”

“Hey big guy. You're a good horse aren't you?”

The stable master laughed and crossed his arms. “Well ain't that a sight? You sure do have a knack for animals, stranger.”

“Oh, me? Not at all… I think this Little Cookies here just recognizes the smell… of carrots!” Link produced a small pouch from his pants pocket. It was a bag of carrots. He poured some carrots out into his hand to let Little Cookies eat them. The horse gobbled them right up and whinnied in delight.

“He's in heaven!” said Paya.

Link laughed.

She continued petting Cookies on the head. “Do you… um…”

Link looked at her with his striking blue eyes.

She blushed. “Ah–uhm…”

“What is it?”

“Sh—shall we ride..?”

Link's blood ran cold. He hadn't even answered the question yet. Why, then, did he feel a crushing sensation of guilt? He knew he should say no. It would be a betrayal of Zelda at this point…

He knew he should say no. But, his body acted before he could protest.

“Alright,” he said.


	14. Little Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Paya had learned that animals will instinctively protect their bellies at all cost, because there are no ribs to protect the stomach. In that mindset, Paya realized she was taking a big risk."

Paya rode with a fingers curled around the reins of Little Cookies. Underneath her, her horse's shoulder blades bobbed up and down. Cookies walked at a relaxed, easy pace. The path they traveled was a twisty road in the shadow of a mountain several miles east of Kakariko Village.

Occasionally, Little Cookies raised his legs to overstep some chalky stone ruins. Relics of Hyrule's past dotted the landscape, overgrowing with vines. Each time Cookies climbed over one, Paya curled her fingers tighter onto the reins.

The Champion of Hyrule had done what she had asked: he had sat behind her. Now that they were riding, she had become extremely nervous. She was worried he could fall off at any second due to any of Cookies's sudden movements. But, she also didn't dare turn around to look at him. Because if she did, he would notice… and then she would have to explain why she was looking at him. She didn't want to have to explain that…

Thankfully, Link broke the silence. “Your horse is really great. I'm jealous.”

“Oh?” said Paya. “Th–thank you, Master Link! I know you like animals too.” She chuckled.

“I do, to be sure. And this is a good one.”

“He's a big, but gentle horse.” Paya stroked Cookies's neck, and he wickered happily. “Shiekah horses are rarely trained to carry two riders. But Little Cookies was able to take a special class for it because of how big he is!”

They rode along the path. Paya was starting to calm down when she noticed a steep hill was coming up. It was covered in rocks, which would be rough to climb. Seeing this, she got an idea.

But she wasn't sure if she should do it…

“Master Link..?”

“Hmm?”

“This hill that's coming up… you see it, right?”

“Yes.”

“I've been on it before. It's steep.” She felt her cheeks flush. “Th–that's why… you can hang onto me…”

“Wha–?” Link began. “Um. Paya, I don't know…”

“For safety,” Paya said, lifting her elbows to make space and closing her eyes. “G–go ahead.”

Link looked at her in disbelief. This was bad. What if Zelda… what if she heard about this…

After a few seconds, the horse's movements got noticeably bumpier, so he shook his head and finally reached his arms around Paya's midsection.

The moment Paya felt his hands wrap around her, her entire body felt like it was a conduit to electricity. Her eyes shot wide and her stomach muscles tightened at the sudden touch of a human being that she had admired for a long time. She felt her heart get faster. Her face reddened, and her legs felt weaker and weaker.

“I–is this okay?” said Link.

In her Shiekah training, Paya had learned that animals will instinctively protect their bellies at all cost, because there are no ribs to protect the stomach. In that mindset, Paya realized she was taking a big risk. She… definitely would not trust many people in this situation. But Link was an exception. She trusted him. “Yes,” she said. “It's okay…”

Little Cookies started going up the hill. Gravity shifted behind them. Paya felt the weight of Link's arms more and more as the horse angled up the hill. “Easy, Cookies,” Paya said. “Go easy for Master Link.”

Link looked back, watching the slope sink steeply behind them. “You were right, this is… really steep!”

Paya looked down at his hands. She had always thought highly of Link. And every time she'd seen him again, she was amazed that he went out of his way to talk to her. He was such a busy hero back then.

Times were different now. He was a stoic guard who always protected the queen. But as these two larger than life personalities continued to live as guests in Paya's life, the more obvious it became that they were just regular, caring people. Regular people with a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.

 _He and the queen_ , a voice added in the back of her mind. Paya looked up at the sky. _They are both good people._

The hill leveled out to a field of grass that had been dried out by the midday sun. Paya gave a sigh of relief as Cookies's back straightened and Link was no longer hugging so tight. Hateno Village appeared in the distance as a small collection of dots.

“Hateno!” said Paya. “We made it!”

Up ahead, the sky at the horizon was becoming darker and more orange.

* * *

“Wow, this is a great view.” Link got down and stood on his own two feet. He could almost see the people of Hateno moving around next to their houses in the distance.

“Awww,” Paya cooed. “Good Cookies… You were very good to Master Link. Do you like him? He's not scary at all, see?”

Link smiled. The sunset gleamed on the grass, the trees, and the village in the distance. Fresh, grassy air filled him with such joy that he knelt down to soak in the peaceful atmopshere.

Paya dismounted. She put her hands in her Shiekah jacket pockets and smiled. “We can stay a few minutes, but we should, um, head back soon. Otherwise grandmother will have questions for me…”

“Alright,” he said. He watched the horizon a little bit longer. There were a few clouds in the sky, but otherwise it was a clear day.

Finally, satisfied, he turned around. “Thanks for taking me out here—ah!”

Link halted in alarm as he almost walked straight into Paya. The two stumbled back, and in the confusion of the moment, she lost her balance. “Huh? Waah!” she yelped.

In the nick of time, he ran up to her caught her arms. With one heave, he easily pulled her back to her feet. It would have been a graceful save, except that that the imparted momentum was too much; Paya squished up against his body.

They stood there, chest to chest. Both their faces began to blush, and Paya stared into his eyes like a frightened deer. An ocean breeze traveled between them and moved her hair.

In that quiet moment, he felt something unlatch inside him. A door in his memories that he had sealed shut a long time ago.

His breath shook as he blinked and saw her almost for the very first time. His jaw dropped. It was like he had just awakened from a dream… a dream he had been trapped in for a long time.

“You…” whispered Link. “You…”

“Ahh??” Paya squealed as she turned away in deep embarrassment. “You're staring at me, Master Link..!”

“Huh? S—sorry! I think I spaced out. Please forgive me.”

Paya clasped her hands in front of her legs. “It's okay. I'm just not used to people looking at me that hard…”

“Uh, right…” he scratched the back of his neck. “Maybe we should head back.”

“Yes, we'd better get going.”

* * *

It was about two hours later, and the sun was getting very low. They had dropped Cookies off at the stables. Now they were in Kakariko Village, and it was almost completely dark. Thankfully, the village always stayed up slightly late and lanterns were lit up in front of every house.

“Uh… Hey, Paya,” said Link while they were walking.

“Yes, Master Link?” she said.

“Thanks for today. I hope I can see Cookies again in the future.”

She blushed. “R—really?”

“Absolutely!”

“That's wonderful…”

They made it to Impa's house. When they got in the door, Impa was seated at the far end of the room. “They're back. That means we can get started.”

Link looked around, totally confused. “What?”

Impa explained. “Quame, one of Shiekah's most experienced trainers, has come to observe Paya's combat fitness.”

Paya squinted in irritation. “Grandmother… It's so late…”

“It has to happen,” said a deep, rolling voice. An round, older looking man with a white beard and a traditional Shiekah robe came out from the shadows. “Trainee Paya. You've been preoccupied this past week, no doubt because of your guests. I've come here to make sure you've been taking your training seriously.”

“Please, allow this to wait until tomorrow,” begged Paya. Her eyes looked tired.

“No,” said Impa. “If you have been training hard, then you should be able to defeat your opponent with ease.”

“Fine…”

Impa pointed her frail hand at Link. “You will be her opponent.”

The Champion of Hyrule took a step back. “Me?”

“Yes, Link. It will be educational for you as well.”

The sound of wind howled outside as Paya and Link looked at each other with concern.


	15. Aptitude Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I had a lot of stuff going on in the life :O. Should be back to a regular schedule now!

The large floor of Impa's house had to be cleared. Everything was pushed to the walls to create a large space for fighting.

Link was doing stretches. Queen Zelda stood beside him, watching Paya from a distance.

“I don't like this,” muttered Link. “Right when we got in the door, they want us to fight. Seriously, can't this wait until tomorrow?”

“Calm down,” said Zelda. “It's just one match. That Shiekah—Quame, I think?—he just wants to check her training. It's just a test for her. I think it will be over quickly.”

“What makes you say it'll be over quickly?”

“Look at you two,” said Zelda. “Who do you think would win in a fight? A timid Shiekah-in-training, or the Champion of Hyrule?”

Link saw her point. “Why did Impa pick me in the first place? Should I go easy on Paya?”

Zelda crossed her arms. “I don't know.”

In the distance, Paya was doing her own stretches while whispering to Impa and Quame.

Link stole a glance at his opponent, then turned away. He hoped with all his heart that Zelda couldn't see his nervousness.

Link himself wasn't sure what he was feeling right now.

* * *

“Grandmother,” said Paya. “I would never question your directions, or those of Quame of course! B—but, maybe you could have warned me—”

Quame interrupted. “Warned you?” he said. “You're a Shiekah. That means that you need to be ready to protect the queen at any moment!”

“Protect the queen?” Impa said. “What do you think she has been doing all week?” She put a hand on Paya's shoulder. “Embrace calm, granddaughter. There are times when one must do the inconvenient thing. This is one of those times.”

“But my opponent is Master Link,” Paya said, looking down at her hands. “I can't fight him, I—”

“You _are_ fighting Link,” said Impa. “And that should reassure you, my dear.”

Paya whimpered and closed her eyes, wishing she could be somewhere else, anywhere but here. Where was a Shiekah Slate when one needed it?

“Link hates violence just as much as you do,” said Impa. “Remember that. He won't hurt you.”

Paya looked across the room at Link. He was now finished with his self-preparation and was mumbling something to Her Highness.

This situation… wasn't how Paya imagined the day would turn out. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind.

* * *

Once everyone was ready, the fighters approached the center of the floor. Both of them looked tense.

Quame, the round Shiekah man, walked between them and studied them both for a moment. He looked each of them in turn. “You understand the rules?”

“Um…. no…” said Link.

Quame looked down his nose at Link. “Ah yes, the Champion. Let me explain. This is an ordinary aptitude test. Don't try to cause any real damage to each other. Your only goal is to force your opponent to the ground and keep them there for three seconds. Understand?”

“Yes, chuujin!” they both said, referring to him by his official Shiekah rank.

He nodded and chopped the air with his hand. “Begin!”

Paya was startled from the sudden start, but she went into motion immediately. She kept her hands up while sidestepping carefully around Link. He watched. With each step, she decreased the distance between them.

Link observed this cautious approach and brought his hands forward, palms open and feet on the ground. He waited patiently.

He struggled to ascertain whether she was really dangerous or just afraid… Zelda had just implied that she wasn't very good, but Paya's approach did appear to be methodical. Her eyes looked nervous, but her form was steady. And her steps were completely silent.

Paya's brows furrowed as she opened aggressively. She went for his right arm, trying to grab it before he could react. However, he reacted just in time and managed to dodge. With a quick turnaround, he grabbed _her_ arm instead. He ended up behind her, with a fast grip on her shoulder and elbow.

“W—what?” she stammered.

Link rotated his upper body and forced her to run in a short semicircle around him. Finally, he pushed her away at great speed. She wheeled off, nearly tripping on her own feet before catching herself on one of the room's wooden supports.

She glared at him.

… Was this the first expression of hostility he had ever seen from her?

Both combatants' eyes were now wide open and focused, like the red Shiekah eye on her forehead.

“Get him back!” Zelda cheered.

“Hey!” shouted Link. Well, at least somebody was having fun. He tried to ignore his liege's sudden betrayal and focus on the battle again. It was time to attack again; Paya had recuperated and was now waiting in an angled defensive stance.

Link ran at her and tried to punch!

But Paya saw what he was doing. She brought her knuckles together and thrust her arms up like a Triforce was coming out of the ground. This move deflected his hand, and in the confusion, she slammed hard on his sternum and forced him to tumble back.

Link's back hit the floor, but he got up and exhaled. Hmm. She was fighting like a Shiekah alright. He recognized the style from what few scrapes he had in the past with Yiga clan members. It was still too early to say if she was fairly matched with him, but he was starting to wonder.

He curled his hands into claws and lowered his shoulders..

It had taken a little bit for Paya's adrenaline to get going. But, she felt it now. Oh, did she feel it. Strength and speed rushed through her muscles, just waiting to be used. So, she did. She ran forward and went at him with a series of precise punches.

Link managed to push most of them away, but he got a few bad blows to his ribs. He squinted as he watched her carefully. He couldn't predict anything. He had to do something to change the odds..

He brought his forearm horizontal and hardened his arm muscles. In the past, this would have been a signal for Daruk to protect him. However, now it was just a block. At the same time, he deceptively shot his other arm out to make it look like he was attacking.

Paya deflected him and punched again, just as Link brought up his defensive arm. She winced as she crushed her hand against what felt like solid rock. Pain shot through her, up to her shoulder. “Augh!” She swatted her hand through the air and jumped backward.

The combatants now had a lot of space between them.

“Try to bring your opponent to the floor,” said Quame. “Don't let this take long.”

Paya took that as a tactful sign of disapproval. Still… she wasn't sure how risky she could make her moves. She had to do something to pin Link down. She closed the distance again and attempted to kick his legs out from under him.

He jumped over her kick and landed softly. Now, he was beside her with his foot hooked around her other ankle. With this leverage, he shot out a hand and knocked her down. She fell over his foot and lost all balance. Frantically, she tried to catch herself by rolling, but in the end, she gained a bruised shoulder and just barely skidded to a halt on the pads of her feet. The wooden floorboards squealed under her.

She gritted her teeth and looked up at him.

Both of them had sweat on their foreheads, and both were panting tiredly.

Link ran at her, but she tackled his stomach with her shoulder and gripped the sides of his torso. She threw him back.

He slammed onto the ground and gasped. But, he managed to smoothly roll out from her path before she could trap him.

Both of them eventually found themselves back on their feet.

This time, Link used a combination of punches and dodges to get behind her. He got a grip on her shoulder, and folded her arm behind her back. Finally, he strained and managed to lever her over his shoulder into a throw. A variation on the throw she had used on him before.

Her stomach hit the floor. She felt pain shake through her body.

She tried to move her arms and escape, but Link had landed on her back too fast. She found herself securely pinned to the ground, hands bound between his. She flailed her legs too, but to no avail.

“Three! … Two!” said Quame.

Zelda stood at the edge of the room, hands clenched as she eyed the combatants.

Finally, Paya got one of her arms free and flipped herself and Link over. Quame stopped counting. She had saved herself this time, it seemed.

She and Link continued to struggle like this for another minute, each of them almost getting the other several times.

Finally, letting out a yell, Paya forced Link to the ground. She had him by the forearms, and every muscle in her arms and abdomen strained to keep him in place.

They looked deep in each other's eyes as Quame began counting again.

“Three! … Two! … One!”

And just like that, the match was over.

Both fighters' muscles shut down.

They deactivated. Paya collapsed onto Link's body, and Link's limbs fell tiredly to the floor. They both just heaved in pain.

Zelda clapped. “Winner!” Quame voiced his agreement.

Paya finally rolled away from Link and stared up at the ceiling.

It was over…

* * *

The moon glowed bright above Kakariko Village. Everyone was finally able to relax because Quame had finally left, but emotions were still high. It was hard for anyone to sleep.

Link was out on the porch. It had become his evening ritual to come out here and watch the stragglers of the village slowly get drowsy. It helped him do the same. And tonight, he was lucky; it seemed that fireflies were out. They eased his mind.

He held his forehead with his hand. What was making him so upset?

The front door opened behind him. They had extinguished most of the indoor lanterns, so there was no light.

It was a few seconds before a voice spoke from the opened door. “M—Master Link,” said Paya quietly.

He turned around. “Hey. Er, well fought.”

She came out and closed the door behind herself. “Um, thank you,” she said. “That's actually what I came to talk to you about.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Um… You see…” She looked down at the ground. “Master Link, you lost… but… It was fake, wasn't it?”

Link exhaled. “Yeah… I'm sorry, Paya. I really am.”

“No,” She sighed. “Please don't feel bad, Master Link. It's done…”

Link was surprised when she came next to him and leaned against the porch railing too.

“P—please… don't do it again though,” she said. “I don't feel good…”

“Sorry…”

“Master Link. I'm going inside.”

“Okay. See you l—” Link began. Then, he stopped himself. He looked at Paya and saw her hands shaking.

Paya clasped her hands in front of her legs. “I'm going inside… d—do you… want… w—with me—”

“Wait!” came a sudden voice from the door.

Link and Paya spun around to see Queen Zelda.

Zelda furrowed her brows. “Paya, please excuse us. I'm afraid I have something to discuss with Link.”

“But…” said Paya.

Zelda shook her head while attempting to hide her face from her. “It's important, I assure you.”

The queen came up and glared at Link right in the eyes. He scratched the back of his head and, giving Paya one last look, followed Zelda into the house.


	16. The Houseplant

It was another warm night in Kakariko Village. But while the village slept, a queen questioned her knight.

“I'm wondering,” said Zelda. She couldn't look at him in the eyes. “Did something happen today? When you were out with the horse.”

Link sat with his shoulders square against the wall. “I may have, er… when we were riding the horse, uhh,” he said. His mind went back to horseriding, when Paya had let him hold onto her for stability. And at the edge of Hateno where they had ended up too close for comfort. “Something in my memories awakened. It's hard for me to explain. But, in the process, I may have overstepped certain boundaries.”

“You said 'when you were riding the horse,' you mean you both rode it… at the same time?” Zelda sighed and rested her hand against the rock wall at the back of Link's room. She didn't look angry to Link. She just seemed conflicted. “… Even after I told you how I felt about her. I see. Then, are you doing this for the Master Sword?”

“No, I swear it's not that. I—”

“Sometimes I do wonder if we've really escaped that Great Fairy. I mean, look at us…” She turned around and looked at him finally.

Link didn't understand what she meant. But he looked at himself. He was wearing a tough-woven Shiekah martial arts uniform, sourced from the closet down the hall. Then, he looked at the queen and what she was wearing: soft maroon pajamas borrowed straight from Paya's closet.

Neither of them looked like themselves.

“We've really rooted ourselves here, haven't we?” said Zelda. Her emerald eyes searched the floor and then her hands for answers.

“Maybe,” Link said, standing up. “But I beg you, let's not leave just yet!”

Zelda watched him for a moment. “I haven't seen emotions like this from you since before the Calamity. — It's a relief to see, if I'm honest…”

“I don't fully understand it myself.”

“Yes,” said Queen Zelda. “*sigh* I don't like to be at odds with you, Link. So let's settle this now. That way we can get back to the castle tomorrow.”

“How?”

“We ask Paya to choose. Although she's not the best at making decisions like that. I don't know any other way we can do this.”

Link put his chin in his hand and thought about it.

Zelda saw something and walked to the corner of the room. A yellow houseplant with a fibrous-looking stem sagged weakly out of a pot. She used her palm to support its shriveled petals. “Hmm… You can think for a bit,” she said. “I'm going to water this plant. It seems that Paya neglected it while she was bringing me back to health.”

* * *

Zelda emerged from the underground and entered the main room of Impa's house, looking for a watering can. She found old Impa by herself on a large cushion at the edge of the room. The elderly matriarch clutched a small brush over a sheet of paper.

“Is the night treating you well?” said Zelda. It was partially to check if Impa was awake.

“Yes, it is, Majesty. Just working the mind on a puzzle before I retire.”

“That's good, Impa. I hope to be as prudent as you someday. Anyway… do you have a watering can in the house?”

“By the door, Your Majesty.”

“Aha. There it is…” She grabbed the watering can and felt that it had some water in it. “That was some fight earlier, huh?”

“Yes. I was growing concerned for my granddaughter… But finally Link gave her a chance. As expected.”

“Wait… so Link actually let her win? He let her beat him?”

Impa chuckled. “That's right. You didn't see?”

“No.”

“Remember a hundred years ago, during training, he would sometimes fake his own defeat when he sparred with us? He did it many times. I think it was to make us feel better about being so unskilled, heh. And to think he still does it to this day. You two are relics of a happier time.”

“Really? I was actually not aware of his deceptive tactics.”

“It's true.”

“Hmm. Are you sure he wasn't just losing and passing it off as intentional?”

Impa squinted. “I'll have to think about that one, Your Majesty. My granddaughter is a better judge of these things than me.”

“Where is the poor girl?”

“Paya… Yes indeed. Where is she… I think she told me she was going to the baths because of the horse and the fight.”

“I'll make sure Link does the same.”

With that, Zelda took the watering can down to the underground.

* * *

Zelda slid open the paper door of Link's room. “Found a watering can,” she said.

Link stood up when she walked in. “Alright, I agree. We let Paya choose one of us.”

“I'm glad you agree. We can resolve this more or less gracefully then. Oh, Link. She's at the baths right now. You need a bath too.”

“Agh… Alright, I'll take your word for it,” said Link.

“We talk to her in the morning,” said Zelda. “Or, maybe we need Impa to talk to her. Oh, how best to do this..?”

With their plan mostly settled, Zelda left Link alone to switch into his robe. Finally, he left Impa's house and headed toward the bathhouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will contain NSFW male nudity and a small amount of NSFW female nudity. Please skip it if that's not your cup of tea.


End file.
